Steam Powered Naruto
by soulful-ginger
Summary: Kurama decides the world is not yet ready for his power after the Gold and Silver Brothers almost capture him. Watch as Naruto inscribes his name in the annals of time as a steam powered shinobi.
1. Steam Powered Shinobi

**A new original for you guys today. All credit for the idea goes to my friend mellra, thanks again man for this sweet idea. I don't own Naruto or any other elements I've thrown in.**

The fabric of time is like a pond, a single ripple can be a single universe.

Throw a rock in it, the ripples change direction. One simple alteration can mean the difference of something little in the grand scheme of things, to something major.

Mountains and rivers could cease to exist, people could never be born, and universes could never be created. Futures become nonexistent, choices can forever be blocked off, fate itself is rewritten.

A simple choice can change the future.

One. Simple. Choice.

**Years before the First Great Shinobi War**

The defeated forms of the once legendary Gold and Silver Brothers lay in a pool of their combined bloods, a massive form towering over them.

"_**Hmmm, almost captured by two vain idiots. This world is not ready for my power"**_rumbled a deep and powerful voice, full of wisdom and anger.

A small fox padded up to the larger form without a care in the world," Master Kurama, I believe returning to our realm would be the best course of action."

"_**Perhaps you are right**_**,**_** Takeshi. If the world came to control my powers…"**_Kurama trailed off as he considered the repercussions.

Nine massive shadows swung behind him before he disappeared in a flash of crimson, the little fox in tow.

Would the entity return?

Only a single choice could decide.

**Valley of the End: The Warring States Period**

"Madara, must it be like this?" the saddened voice of a man bounced across the valley where two figures stood, a brown-haired man lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Sadly, it must…Hashirama. A village with so many secrets cannot stand, nor will I allow it to stand" intoned a more serious voice, a raven-haired figure in blood-red armor stood above him with his blade poised to strike.

"The Will of Fire will always prevail, Madara."

"You do not know the true meaning of shinobi, within all men…there is darkness. And that darkness has infested you, and your brother. Your Will of Fire has cast a shadow in your hearts."

"This battle would have been so much easier without your…'help'."

Behind them all, standing tall even against a waterfall, stood a creature with five whipping tails. A huge, sentient being of chakra.

A tailed-beast.

The Gobi, otherwise known as Madara's new pet.

"So, you actually got it" Hashirama sounded mildly impressed.

"It was not easy, taming a tailed beast; even with the Sharingan at my disposal" Madara cupped a hand over his bleeding eye.

"What do you think Izuna would say about this?" Hashirama tried to stall for time.

"Izuna? Izuna gave me the drive to follow through with this course of action. I can hear his spirit cheering me on from the grave" Madara gave a smirk before looking up to the hypnotized tailed beast.

"Think about this, Mad-"

"I grow tired of your constant distractions. Gobi, attack" Madara leapt forward alongside his tailed pet.

"Well, today just got so much more complicated."

The two shinobi clashed, their powers rocking the very foundations of the mountains around them. Waves crashed, rocks tumbled and split, and the land itself was rewritten under the sheer force the two warriors wielded.

Hashirama's sword clashed with the battle-fan and scythe of Madara, the wood-user dodging strikes from five separate tails and blasts of steam that were fired from the enraged beast looming above him.

'_I've got to end this quick. I don't have too much left to give' _Hashirama growled in his mind.

"What's wrong, Hashirama? Finally growing tired? Pity."

"Hardly. **Wood Style: Great Binding Timber!**" Hashirama roared as branches with the thickness of buildings wrapped around the Gobi, binding it to the ground.

"Damn you, Hashirama! You always have to impress me!" Madara shouted and cloaked himself in his Susanoo.

He was even more surprised when the man in front of him disappeared in a plume of smoke.

He lost his composure as a fist slammed hard enough into the side of his Susanoo to shatter it into ashes of chakra.

Now, now the fight had begun.

From the smoke strode a lone figure, red markings under his eyes and on his forehead, and an image that would forever be burned into Madara's mind.

Hashirama's glowing yellow eyes.

Madara involuntarily shivered.

Hashirama had engaged Sage Mode, this was not good. Not good at all.

The two shinobi looked to the sky; the once blazing sun had set and thrown them into the blackness of night.

It was time to finish this.

"Well, Madara? One final attack?" Hashirama strode confidently towards the tall Uchiha.

"I guess it comes down to what we have left in our reserves. Somehow I always knew it would" Madara charged up the largest fireball he could.

"**Katon: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" **Madara exhaled a wall of fire so tall, it dwarfed even the form of the downed Gobi.

Hashirama simply stood and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The fireball struck home with a resounding boom that rattled the Earth to its very core, the very mountains themselves reshaping under the mighty pressure. The lake boiled and rocks were superheated to the point of shattering and yet Hashirama did not move. Not an inch.

'_How is he still standing?'_

Madara was answered by a plume of smoke, almost like a signal of his defeat.

**Thunk.**

He felt sharp steel find a new home inside his chest, the blade glinting in the moonlight with his blood.

The Uchiha felt something wet on the back of his neck_,' It must be raining.'_

Hashirama stood behind him, the sword gripped tightly and his jaw clenched tighter as tears streamed from his eyes.

"Why did it have to come to this, Madara?" Hashirama whispered quietly.

"It was bound to end like this my old friend. I'm honestly glad I will fall to you, you will always be my greatest rival" Madara bowed his head as a rivulet of blood trickled from his mouth.

A great crack of thunder rippled throughout the sky as rain finally began to fall, almost like it was trying to wash away the regret both shinobi felt.

"Do it, Hashirama" Madara whispered.

With a sharp tug, the sword came free in a geyser of blood that soaked both warriors in its crimson coating.

'_Goddamn you, Madara.'_

'_Goddamn you, Hashirama.'_

The legendary Uchiha fell to his knees, offered a final gaze at the world, and then fell to the ground in death.

Hashirama couldn't remember how long he stood there, just staring at his former friend's body and silently mourning.

Only the raging of the Gobi brought him back to his senses, along with a pair of slender arms wrapping around his chest.

Mito.

"You did what you had to do" she whispered in his ear softly.

The years seemed to way down on the First Hokage of Konohagakure, making him feel so much older.

"We still have to deal with the Gobi" he motioned to the pinned mass of chakra.

"Seal it within me; my Uzumaki blood can hold its chakra. We need to keep it hidden" Mito began drawing the seals herself.

"Are you sure? We'll have to keep passing this burden down."

"It is for the good of the world. We cannot let this power roam loose, free to do what it pleases. Eventually we'll release it, in an era where it cannot be manipulated like it was here" Mito began to draw the chakra from the Gobi into herself.

'_Let us pray you are right, Mito.'_

**Many Years Later**

The crying of a newborn bounced around the hidden cave where Kushina Uzumaki had been taken to give birth.

"You did it, Kushi-chan! It's a beautiful baby boy!" a nurse cried happily as the women clutched her baby.

Her husband was busy reinforcing the seal on her stomach; to make sure the tailed beast inside did not escape.

Outside the cave ANBU were stationed to deter any and all threats against the women and her husband.

One spoke into his earpiece," Hokage-sama, we've spotted movement outside the entrance, we recommend moving Kushina."

"Thank you, Falcon. We have to-"

The Fourth Hokage was cut off as both nurses fell to the ground with their throats cut into bloody smiles.

"Give me the woman or your child dies" a voice snarled from behind him.

Minato Namikaze swung around and caught the masked man off guard with a spinning backfist to the side of the head, the mask absorbing a huge chunk of the blow.

"Not a smart move, Hokage" the man held a bundle in his hands, one wired with explosive tags.

"Don't you dar-"

The man threw the child into the air; Minato acted on instinct and snatched his son from the air before defusing the tags.

A rush of air announced his wife being kidnapped by the masked man.

"Dammit!" he cursed before using his patented Flying Thunder God technique to teleport to his house, placing his son in his crib before grabbing his battle coat and going to save his wife.

"Just hold on, just hold on" he repeated like a mantra as he teleported in his yellow flash to Kushina's location.

He ended up in a valley, his wife chained to the middle of a rock formation as the Gobi ripped its way out of her seal and in the process, slowly killing her.

"Kushina!" he roared and charged forward, just in time to watch the Gobi break free.

With a roar that seemed to almost shatter the sky, it charged towards Konoha in a cloud of steam.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?"

The Fourth Hokage wheeled around and spotted the masked man sitting on a cliff edge, swinging a leg like he was in the deepest form of relaxation.

"Why are you doing this!? WHY!?" Minato screamed at the man.

"For simple entertainment, Fourth Hokage! This is just for me to enjoy, the destruction of the Leaf Village!" the man chuckled.

"Who are you? What do you have against Konoha?"

"My name is…Madara Uchiha and I have everything against Konoha. I want nothing more than to see it burn" Minato could feel the man's enraging smirk from the orange mask he wore.

His thoughts were interrupted by the cries of pain from his wife.

"You'd better hurry. She doesn't have much longer" the masked man chuckled.

He was caught off guard when a kunai sailed over his head and a Rasengan was rammed into the base of his spine.

With the satisfying crunch of bone, Minato Namikaze knew he had crippled the man.

"GAH!" the man who called himself Madara shouted before disappearing in a swirling vortex.

"And that is the reason you don't fuck with a kage" he growled before flashing to his wife and freeing her of her bindings.

"Mina-kun. Where is Naruto? Where is our son?" Kushina gripped her husband's hand tightly.

"He's safe, Kushi-chan. I'll take you to him."

The pair disappeared in a yellow flash.

**Back in the Apartment of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki**

The wailing of their child could be heard as the pair appeared in their apartment, Kushina hobbling over to cradle her son.

"The Gobi is attacking the village. How do we stop it Kushi-chan?" Minato looked to his wife.

"You can't, you can only seal it again…I don't think I can survive another sealing" she fell to the bed with Naruto in her arms.

"Then we'll have-"

"Don't say it…Don't say it! You know what the villagers will do!" Kushina shouted with a surprising amount of strength for someone who just had a tailed beast ripped out of them.

"I know, dammit! But we can't let the village be destroyed and we can't ask another family to give up their child!" Minato shouted back.

The pair was silent, only listening with bittersweet happiness to Naruto's light cooing.

"We have to do it, Kushi-chan" Minato spoke in a small voice.

The redhead answered only by clutching her blonde bundle tighter.

"Fine, but one of us has to live for him" she smiled sadly as Naruto gripped her finger tightly.

"It'll have to be you, Kushi-chan. I have to use…The Reaper Death Seal, it's the only thing that can stop it fast enough" Minato stood and threw off his battlecoat.

"Mina-kun…"

"Be a good mother, Kushi-chan. I'll see you in the afterlife, my love" Minato gave her a final warm smile before taking Naruto and disappearing in his yellow flash of chakra.

All Kushina could do was sob quietly as she prepared to lose the man of her dreams, and possibly her son.

She lamented and cursed the heavens for robbing her of her chance to finally have a full and beautiful family; this was supposed to be her happily ever after.

It was a good fifteen minutes before she felt it.

She felt a twitch in the back of her mind, like it was telling her something was wrong.

"Mina-kun!" she gathered the last of her strength and shushined to Minato's location.

She arrived just in time to stop a giant hoof from crushing her son; Minato supported it with her although she could tell he was drained of chakra.

"Kushi-chan? How did you know?" Minato hacked out some blood.

"I just…felt something" Kushina could feel her organs being destroyed by the pressure and charka the Gobi emitted from its entire being.

"Dammit! You were supposed to live, you were always the survivor" Minato cursed as he could feel his strength waning, the Reaper Death Seal slowly killing him.

With a massive combined shout, the pair threw the Gobi away from their son. It was done, the seal was in place and the Gobi soon found itself being sucked back inside of a jail cell.

The day was saved, Konoha wasn't destroyed, and all it had cost them was everything.

Both parents crawled their way over to their son, slowly and painfully.

"Naruto-kun" Kushina clutched her baby to her chest.

"Hey, buddy" Minato hugged the both of them tightly, everything was beginning to feel really cold.

"Be a good boy, Naruto you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are! Find a goal… a dream… and don't stop trying until it comes true. There's… there's so much more that I want to say… to teach you… I want to stay with you… I love you."

"Kushi-chan…" Minato felt his wife growing colder as well.

"Don't look so sad, Minato. I'm… I'm happy. Happy that you loved me. Happy that it's… our son's… birthday. If I try to imagine surviving and the three of us… living together… I can't think of anything… beyond 'I'd be so happy. If I had any regrets… It would be that I won't see Naruto grow up."

Minato could only laugh," Naruto… This is your dad. Listen… To your motor-mouth mother."

"We love you, we love you so much" Kushina finally felt her body giving out.

Finally, almost mercifully, the two great shinobi became one with the afterlife.

The only sounds that filled the air were the sounds of a crying child, roaring fires, and steam hissing.

**Fourteen Years Later**

Naruto adjusted his hood with a grumble," Bastards."

He had just gotten a small beating from some angry fuckers who kept calling him 'Demon' and 'Horse Brat'.

Seriously, Horse Brat just sounded ridiculous. If they were going to insult him they could at least think of something clever.

'**That's humans for you kid.'**

'_You got that right, Kokuō. Thanks for the armor ideas by the way.'_

No one knew it but Naruto had been in contact with his tenant ever since he could form a coherent thought. If Kokuō hadn't stepped in, Naruto would have had no idea how to make his Steam Armor more bearable.

Instead of the heavy red armor the Hokage had first given him to contain and control the fluctuations of steam that emanated from his body, he wore armor that was a quarter of the weight.

His left side was covered in a myriad of bronze and leather armor, different entwining gears and pipes circling his left arm. A gauntlet with many flashing lights and buttons that allowed the blonde container to direct the flow of steam wherever he wished it was attached to his wrist and forearm.

Other than the armor, his outfit was quite simple, a pair of black ANBU pants that held two shuriken holsters on his left thigh and a pair of thick, leather combat boots that reached mid-shin level.

With Kokuō's chakra enhancements and a healthy diet, Naruto had grown to be one of the tallest kids in his class and was muscled to boot.

'**So, today we graduate huh? It'll be good to finally get rid of those goggles and put on a real forehead protector.'**

'_As long as Hokage-sama honors our request about team selections.'_

'**Getting paired with the Uchiha could prove problematic.'**

'_Neither of us have had great experiences with the Sharingan, I think Hokage-sama will realize that we're made for a Frontal Assault Squad.'_

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by a bark of laughter and then a shout," Hey, Naruto!"

"Kiba, what have I told you about being loud?" Naruto grumbled.

"S-sorry, Naruto" Kiba rubbed the back of his head.

"It's no problem, work on it" Naruto whacked the dog partnered ninja in the back of the head with his armored gauntlet.

"That wasn't very polite, Naruto-san" a chunnin asshole by the name of Mizuki chided.

"I'm not a polite person, you should probably get used to it" Naruto flipped the chunnin the bird and walked inside.

"That's a detention!" Mizuki called.

"I won't serve it!" Naruto called back.

From somewhere far above, Naruto's parents watched.

The world would watch as he became something of legend.

A steam powered shinobi.

**A great new idea from my friend mellra, thank you again my friend! If you don't like it you can kiss the fattest part of my ramen and anime loving ass! Read, review, favorite, flame, whatever.**

**See you later bro's.**


	2. Hidden in the Steamy Mist

**A second chapter for you sexy sons of bitches out there who enjoy this idea. Someone pointed out that Han's steam powers have nothing to do with the Gobi. It has never been declared, one way or another, if that's true in canon. For the benefit of this story, and my sanity, steam powered ninjutsu are bi-products of being the Gobi's container. Shout out to Mellra yet again for being one of the best idea farms in the world, you made this story not me.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Really.**

**Flashback (Naruto: Age 5)**

Naruto sighed again as he shuffled down the streets and tried to ignore the shiver-inducing glares the villagers and some shinobi gave him.

'**Are they really so caught up in their illogical hate? Sometimes I honestly question the hope of the human race.'**

'_W-who said that?' _Naruto very nearly jumped out of his skin as the voice bounced around his head. His reaction caused the villagers to look at him all the more oddly, something Naruto really didn't need at the moment.

"**I would be the might Five-Tails, a giant form of sentient chakra' **the voice answered.

'_Well you're very…forthcoming, Mr. Gobi.'_

'**Mr. Gobi? Haha, I like you kid'** the Gobi chuckled before pulling Naruto into his mindscape.

Naruto opened his eyes to find a grassy plain with a large cage in the middle, a giant four-legged beast lying down in the center watching him with keen interest.

"**So you're finally able to enter your mind. Good, this is sooner than I expected. I'm sure you have many questions" **The Gobi stood and shook itself.

"I t-thought the Yondaime killed the Gobi, th-that was what I was taught by the Sandaime" Naruto stuttered slightly as he gazed up in awe at the form of raw power in front of him.

"**It's a likely story; no one wants to believe that the Hero of the Leaf** **died just to seal away the beast that was rampaging through the village. No one wanted to believe that the beast was still alive, although most of the old generation knows that you are in fact the container of me. Thank your current Hokage for letting that knowledge slip" **the Gobi wasn't exactly pleased with the way the Sandaime had handled everything.

"Why are you so helpful?" Naruto had never had really any reason to trust anyone these days, other than a few of his ANBU guards.

"**It's not your fault I'm sealed inside of you, so what reason would I have to be angry? You're a kid, a strong one at that, who had no control over the events that led to this point. Honestly, I'm here to help you."**

Immediately, Naruto felt his heart cling onto the tailed beast. His affection starved psyche soaring with newfound hope. The notion of affection was somewhat lost on the young boy, having dealt with the harsh stares and whispers and occasional beating.

Tears began to form around his red lined eyes and before he knew it, he'd run into the cage and latched onto the Gobi's giant hoof without a care in the world.

The Gobi was for lack of a better word, stunned. He'd never expected this kind of reaction, even with all of his years of wisdom and knowledge.

'_**Hmmm, this kid is proving to be quite unique. I could get used to him.' **_

Gobi found himself leaning down and nuzzling the top of Naruto's blonde head.

"**So I realized I never told you my actual name"** he saw Naruto's head snap up so fast, he swore he heard a vertebrae snap.

"I thought Gobi was your name" Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"**That's what everyone assumes about tailed beasts. My real name…is Kokuō. Pleased to meet you, Naruto Namikaze" **Gobi mentally grinned as he let the boy's father's name slip intentionally.

"But my last name is Uzumaki" Naruto couldn't put two and two together.

"**Your father's last name was Namikaze you bonehead" **Gobi face-palmed as much as a goat-dolphin hybrid could, which was a feat on its own.

"The only Namikaze I know is Mina…" Naruto trailed off before looking to have shorted out before he fell backwards in a dead faint.

Kokuō then did something he hadn't in centuries.

He threw back his head and laughed, long and hard until his ribs began to ache and he was gasping for air that never seemed to come.

Somehow, somewhere, down in his heart Kokuō knew he was going to protect this boy by any means necessary.

He had just found a new member of his family.

**Present Time (Naruto Age: 14)**

Naruto sat at the back of the class, snoring loudly and simultaneously flipping Mizuki off. Iruka still had no idea how the blonde did it.

Currently, Naruto was training with Kokuō in his mindscape in the ways of his steam ninjutsu. His jutsu arsenal was already impressive but there was always room for improvement.

He was awakened by Naruto being called to the front of the room by Mizuki.

"Mr. Uzumaki, are there any particular reasons why you've been flipping me off this entire class period?" Mizuki somehow kept his voice calm and even, despite his growing rage.

Naruto swept his bangs out of his eyes and gave the Chunnin instructor a glare that could have frosted the surface of the sun," Simple. I don't like you."

"Well, I am your teacher so I demand a little respect!" Mizuki growled slightly.

"Respect is earned, not given Mizuki."

"That's Mizuki-_sensei_ to you."

"Sure, I'll call you that as soon as you teach me something" Naruto blew a bit of steam from his nose before returning to his seat.

"I wasn't finished with you!" Mizuki clenched his fists tightly, until his knuckles cracked.

Without turning around Naruto nonchalantly spoke," I don't care."

Seeing his partner about to snap, Iruka quickly changed the subject," Today class we'll be taking the genin exams, we'll go by alphabetical order."

Iruka began calling names of nondescript students, faceless civilian ninja who most likely wouldn't make it past Genin.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Iruka called.

As the blonde walked next to Iruka he whispered in his ear," The plan is still on."

The scarred Chunnin nodded before pretending to read something.

As the pair entered the examination room, Naruto smirked as did Kokuō.

"We're going to need you to perform Henge, Kawarirmi, and the Bunshin jutsu before you can graduate" Iruka smiled as he knew Naruto had been granted access to the Forbidden Scroll thanks to his inability to make a standard clone thanks to his above Kage level chakra reserves. All the control in the world wouldn't allow him to do it with ease so he's been given a technique that would kill most jonin due to chakra exhaustion.

In a plume of smoke, Naruto was replaced with a perfect copy of the Yondaime; much to Kokuō's amusement and Mizuki's anger.

When Mizuki went to take a sip of coffee, Naruto substituted his cup with a pair of scissors.

The Chunnin was not pleased.

Iruka stifled his laughter as Mizuki walked back into the classroom, freshly bandaged, and Naruto was still rolling with laughter on the floor.

"Clones, now. No more injuries" Iruka still fought the urge to laugh.

Naruto grunted and affirmative before doing the seals. A large plume of smoke covered the room and when it cleared, Naruto stood amongst thirty perfect copies of himself.

Mizuki stood to take a closer look," These aren't regular shadow clones are they?"

"No, allow me to demonstrate" Naruto surged his Steam through a clone, causing it to erupt in a cloud of boiling steam and singeing off Mizuki's eyebrows.

This time Iruka burst into such hysterical laughter he tipped back in his chair and crashed to the floor, Naruto quickly following as the silver-haired Chunnin felt the raw skin where his eyebrows first were.

"You p-p-ahahah!" Iruka chortled and threw Naruto his forehead protector and with a smirk the blonde Jinchuriki tied it around his neck.

'_You'll pay for this, Uzumaki' _Mizuki thought fiercely before going to search for a marker to draw on some new eyebrows.

A few hundred miles away, a tall swordsman with no eyebrows sneezed.

**Outside the Academy**

Naruto breathed deeply and exhaled steam from his nose, savoring the sweet smells of summer. It was rare that he was in a good a mood as we was at the moment but torturing Mizuki and becoming a genin had definitely raised his morale.

'**You did well, Naruto. I'm proud of you" **Gobi snorted happily as he grazed on a prairie inside of the mindscape.

"_Couldn't have done it without you, Kokuō." _

"**Bah, I'm sure you could have. After probably about three tries" **Kokuō laughed.

Somewhere, deep in another timeline, another blonde ninja sneezed and grumbled about believing it.

Not that those two are related at all.

Really, not at all.

"C-congratulations, N-Naruto-kun" a shy voice squeaked from behind the blonde shinobi.

"Hinata-chan? What did I tell you about stalking and stuttering?" Naruto grinned as he could see her blush, even in the shadows.

"T-that it's wrong and takes away from my confidence" her stutter got gradually better.

"Correct as usual, Hinata-chan. Now let's go out and get some food" Naruto held out his hand, pleased when the shy Hyuuga took it.

It would have been a grand moment, had a parent not opened his loud mouth," Why is the demon holding the Hyuuga heir's hand? He must be up to something!"

All eyes turned to him and all Naruto could do was groan in frustration and rub his temples as the parents descended on the pair in an attempt to separate them.

"**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu"** Naruto sighed and was quickly swallowed by a thick mist, Hinata quickly following him.

'_I'm tempted to use it, Kokuō" _Naruto's irritated voice reached the five-tails.

'**Under normal circumstances, I would say go for it. Seeing as these people are parents though, I'd advise some restraint" **Gobi attempted to soothe the angry blonde.

In the real world, Naruto rubbed his red-rimmed eyes as he groaned in frustration. He sat a fainted Hinata down on a stool and ordered up a bowl of miso ramen.

"Same shit, different day?" Teuchi Ichiraku stepped out from the kitchen and ruffled Naruto's hair before sliding him a free bowl.

"Don't you know it, old man? It's taking all my restraint to not boil those idiots like lobsters" Naruto growled before pulling a red bottle from his shirt and pouring it into the ramen.

As soon as the thick liquid hit the broth, flames roared and touched the ceiling like Satan had just dipped his ballsack in the bowl.

Nose hairs caught on fire, the paint on the walls curled, and three birds in flight burst into flames.

"Still using that sauce, huh?" Teuchi smiled behind the gasmask he had dawned as he had experienced Naruto's…spices…once before.

He still had a few bald patches from the event.

Along with his red-rimmed eyes, Naruto had developed a great love for spicy foods. Some so hot they would kill a normal man.

As Kokuō put it**," If it doesn't burn hitting bottom, you've got a problem."**

The blonde hungrily slurped down the noodles without a care in the world, even as his mouth gave off heat like a radiator.

Hinata finally came to next to him and shyly ordered a small helping of vegetable ramen.

"N-Naruto-kun, are you doing anything later tonight?" she hoped to make some more plans with the boy.

"I'm meeting up with Mizuki and Iruka-sensei for a special test later, it might get me promoted early" Naruto said between gulps of food.

"B-but you ju-just became a genin!" Hinata was surprised, as she knew that all initiates had to go through an initial test before being made official genin of Konoha.

"What can I say? I'm awesome" Naruto smiled warmly and paid for his and Hinata's meal before disappearing in a swirl of steam, but not before giving the shy Hyuuga a kiss on the cheek.

Hinata fainted into her ramen and Teuchi had to make sure the girl didn't drown.

**The Forests Outside of Konoha: Nightfall**

"Did you bring it, Naruto?" Mizuki stared down at his 'subordinate'.

"Yes, Mizuki-sama" Naruto replied in a monotone.

The arrogant chunnin believed he had placed the blonde in a genjutsu that would last just long enough for him to escape to Orochimaru with the villages Forbidden Scroll of Sealing.

Hearing the boy call him Mizuki-sama was just an added bonus.

"Take the scroll off your back and hand it to me" Mizuki ordered.

The blonde stood stiffly and began walking towards the chunnin, his steps slow and mechanical. All part of the plan.

A kunai whizzed past the traitorous chunnin's head and buried itself in the tree next to him.

"Sorry, Mizuki-sama. I guess your genjustu aren't as strong as you thought" Naruto chuckled and stood.

"Dammit, you demon! You've ruined everything; I should have ended you when I had the chance!" Mizuki wound up his throwing arm and hurled the large shuriken on his back with blistering speed.

Naruto simply tilted his head to the side and allowed the blades to fly harmlessly past," You just never learn do you?"

'_If I can't beat him physically, maybe I can beat him mentally'_ Mizuki thought as he was desperate to get out of this situation as he saw multiple ANBU drop from the trees.

"Naruto, do you know why the villagers hate you? Why they beat you, deny you service, spit on you?" Mizuki grinned savagely.

"Oh, please inform me" Naruto picked dirt from his fingernails as Kokuō snickered inside of me.

"Because the Yondaime never killed the Gobi when it attacked all those years ago! He sealed it into you, you're the Gobi reincarnated!" Mizuki howled as he was sure this would destroy the psyche of the Jinchuriki.

He never expected Naruto and all the ANBU surrounding him to burst out into laughter, the blonde guffawing so hard he began to wheeze.

"Y-you hone-honestly thought I didn't know? Why do you th-think I wear this armor? It's for my steam you f-fucking idiot!" Naruto howled with laughter.

Mizuki roared with anger and prepared to strike down the laughing genin for mocking him.

"**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu" **Naruto looked up at the man with a look that would have melted the metal of his forehead protector as he was once again shrouded in mist.

"_Time to use it, Kokuō?"_

"**You best believe it, kid."**

"Where am I, Mizuki-teme? Where could I be?" Naruto's voice drifted through the foggy ocular obstruction.

The chunnin whipped his head around, his mind becoming aware of how hot the mist was becoming.

The last words he ever hear were,**" Suiton: ****Yukemuri Satsujin Jiken."**

He screamed in agony as his flesh began to simply fall away from the bone, all the moisture leaving his body as the mist turned to steam.

The ANBU took a healthy step back as the mist suddenly contracted, as though it was almost done killing the traitor.

All they could hear were the sounds of his agonized death, then silence as the mist dissipated and left them with a clear view of Naruto.

Standing over the bleach-white bones of Mizuki, the Scroll of Sealing in his hands.

As the ANBU looked on, stunned, Naruto stepped over to them with a sheepish look.

"I guess that means we can't interrogate him?"

All the ANBU present face-faulted.

**Sorry for the delay, as my computer was being a twat. Here are some translations for you.**

**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu: Water Release: Hiding in the Mist **

**Suiton: Yukemuri Satsujin Jiken: Water Release: Murder in the Steambath**

**The last one was an original move that my buddy mellra came up with that combines Naruto's steam with the potent, chakra-laced mists that Zabuza commands.**

**Shoutout to mellra for being literally one of the best people I've ever encountered on this site.**


	3. It's a Sauna in Here

**It's been awhile hasn't it my friends? Well, no more delays . Shout out to Mellra as usual.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**Really, I don't.**

Naruto awoke to the sounds of chirping birds outside his window.

Which he then proceeded to boil to death with his steam.

"Damn birds. Always waking me up with their chirping. Oh well, at least I already took care of breakfast" Naruto grinned and stretched his back as he stood from his bed.

Kokuō snorted in his mind, his container was an odd one that was certain.

Today was team selections, and he was eager to see who he had been paired with. The Hokage had guaranteed he wouldn't be placed with the Uchiha so all the possible combinations began running through his mind.

He wouldn't mind being paired with someone like Shino who was quiet and calculating and yet was capable of being somewhat warm and inviting.

"**It seems as though it's almost time, Naruto. We need to head out or we're going to be late and you know how much people love late arrivers."**

Somewhere, a tall man with silver hair sneezed into the pages of his book and cried out as the ink became smudged.

"Yeah, guess you're right" Naruto threw on his usual attire. An orange hoodie, covered-toe combat boots, black ANBU pants, some shin greaves, and then attached his steam regulator.

The steam regulator was something of a masterpiece that Kokuō had helped Naruto develop as the blonde had not wanted his body to be weighed down by the heavy red armor that the Third Hokage had produced for him.

It was a simple leather harness, bronze wires running up the forearm that wrapped around his arm and settled to just over his shoulder. His steam and chakra were infused with the use of a variety of seals that diverted into his body to regulate the flow and acted as a check and balance.

"**Hopefully, Iruka will be in a good mood. You know, despite us killing a fellow teacher after he tried to defect."**

"Something tells me that's not going to happen" Naruto sighed before leaping out his open window and into the streets below.

As soon as his boots touched ground, he was greeted by glares and muttered curses. Horse Demon, Horse Brat, Dolphin Demon.

Really?

The names weren't even clever and Naruto scoffed at the last one in particular, I mean come on. If you were going to insult someone at least make sure that you don't sound like a jackass yourself.

Naruto sighed and forged on as the Academy came into view, Hinata standing outside waiting for him with a small smile.

"Hello, Naruto-kun" she greeted with a blush.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! You didn't stutter, that deserves an award!" Naruto smiled and gently gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Her face became so red Naruto checked his pockets to make sure that his special sauce was still in its proper container.

The world was not yet ready to handle the concoction.

Not even Anko could handle a drop.

Naruto chuckled as he remembered the first time he'd met the snake summoner.

***Flashback: Two Years Ago***

_It was a normal day in Konoha; the air was warm and slightly humid. You could hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling, and the people chasing and cursing a young blonde boy._

_Naruto ran for his life and cursed his luck at being chased on such a beautiful day, and for his legs for not being long enough as he tried to outrun the mob that was currently in the process of trying to break his spine with a variety of long sticks._

_Thinking quickly, he dived into a stand and crouched low so no one could see his bright hair. _

_At the same time, Special Jonin Anko Mitarashi was enjoying some of the food of the Gods._

_Dango._

_She was humming in myriad satisfaction when a bundle of leather and hair leapt over the counter next to her and out of the view of a crowd of people. _

"_Whew, dodged them" sighed the now revealed Naruto as he sat on a stool and ordered some dango, taking out his special sauce and cracking the seal on the top._

_The woman behind the counter smiled before fleeing the general vicinity after placing his order in front of him._

_Anko eyed him for a few moments before going back to reading a report and eating her food slowly, dipping it in a small bowl of syrup absentmindedly._

_Naruto, conversing with Kokuō, placed his sauce on the left side of his dango and got engrossed in his conversation. _

_As soon as Anko dipped her last stick, whatever being controls what happens at any given time decided to have a little fun, her dango found its way inside Naruto's bottle of liquid death._

_Her nose still buried in the report, Anko popped the stick and its deliciousness into her mouth and stood to leave…_

_Until her nose hair caught on fire, her ponytail popped out of its confines and frizzed like she had just stuck her finger into an electrical socket, a torrent of smoke began to pour from her ears, and she began to spit and breathe fire like the dragons of old._

_All in all…it was a pretty terrifying sight. Naruto knew that he was screwed and began to hightail it out of the stand, Anko hot in pursuit and brandishing kunai that seemed to have sprang up from nowhere._

"_You little shit!" she roared, although her voice was hoarse from the sheer heat of the dipping sauce._

"_Well, maybe if you would have paid att-Holy shit!" Naruto leapt over an exploding tag that detonated right where his groin would have been._

"_I'm going to skin you alive!" she shouted, making villagers around her shiver and cheer in different intervals._

"_Why? Why is it always me? How do I get myself into these messes?! Kokuō, how do I calm her down?!" _

"_**I have no idea! I may be a being that has been around since the formation of chakra, but I still have no idea how to calm an irate women! I'm not a miracle worker so just run before she kills us both!" **_

"_Some help you are!" Naruto rounded a corner and buried his face in the side of a dumpster._

_As he sat dazed on the ground, Anko began stalking over to him with a bloodlust that could scare Kisame Hoshigaki. _

"_Got you now, brat. Start praying to whatever deity you worship…I'm not going to be gentle."_

"_Uhhh, __**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!**__" Naruto shouted before a heavy fog began to settle in the area._

_Anko made a lunge for him, but only found air where the little blonde brat had been only moments before._

"_You brat! COME BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR LUMPS!" she shouted and shook her fist in the air, making the villagers cock their head in confusion._

_Naruto sat above the scene, breathing heavily as the water justu had taken a little out of him, and jotted something into a little notebook._

"_Anko Mitarashi. Avoid at all costs."_

_Too bad life never really worked like that._

***Flashback End***

Naruto shook his head and chuckled fondly at his budding friendship with the snake summoning woman. It's amazing what can happen to bring people closer together, eh?

The blonde grabbed the Hyuuga heiress's hand and led her into the Academy, for once right on time as the bell rang as soon as the door slid shut behind them.

Iruka gave him a small nod of affection and a smile before pointing to an open seat next to Sasuke Uchiha, who was actually eager to see what team he had been put on. Naruto personally had no problem with the boy, he had never had a reason to, but that did not mean he wanted a Sharingan user on his team.

Bijuu and Sharingan did not mix.

Hinata sat in the back next to Kiba Inuzuka and patiently listened for Iruka to begin announcing teams.

"H-hey, where's Mizuki-sensei?" spoke some random genin who's name escaped Naruto at the moment.

"Dead" Naruto's one word shot through the air like a whip.

All the heads in the classroom, sans Iruka's, snapped around to gaze at Naruto's neutral expression.

"Naruto! That's an S-rank secret!" Iruka scolded.

"Well there are a lot of S-ranked secrets that shouldn't be known. Aren't there?" Naruto snapped at his teacher and then winced at Iruka's guilty face before apologizing quietly.

"Mizuki-sensei is…d-dead?" Sakura Haruno whispered.

"What happened?" Sasuke's interest was piqued.

Iruka looked to Naruto who nodded slightly to continue.

"Mizuki was found guilty of putting a fellow Konoha shinobi under genjutsu and attempting to steal the Sacred Scroll of Sealing before being apprehended and killed by the same shinobi he had attempted to control."

"Who was the shinobi?" Shino spoke up in a rare moment of interest.

"You're currently staring at him" Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair as this little outburst would not help his standing in the village, traitor or not.

"Don't look at him like some kind of monster. You all are now ninja, shinobi, assassins in the night. All of you will half to kill someone in the defense of the village at some point. He just got his first out of the way a little early" Sasuke defended Naruto, a surprise to the blonde.

"Thank you, Sasuke" Naruto grinned at the Uchiha who simply nodded his head before going back to staring ahead.

"Okay, that was enough excitement for today. Here are your team assignments. Team 1 will consist of…"

Naruto dozed off until he heard the words Team 7, knowing this would be his team and snapped awake.

"Team 7 will consist of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Shino Aburame" Iruka looked up to gage their reactions.

Sakura was depressed about not being paired with her 'love' and being paired with a person who her parents had told her to be cautious of.

Naruto just groaned and knew he was going to be the one to have to straighten the fangirl out the hard way.

By kicking her ass.

Shino's reaction was…typical.

Complete silence.

'_Great, I get put with the troublemaker and Bug-Boy' _Sakura mentally lamented.

"Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

'**A Sharingan user. We'll have to talk to the Hokage about his' **Kokuō was not a pleased dolphin…horse…thing.

'_Actually Kokuō, I remember Kakashi. He was part of the ANBU unit stationed to protect us remember? I don't believe his Sharingan is powerful enough to subdue us as easily. If the Hokage wanted to put a stop guard on us he would have assigned Yamato, who can easily subdue as.'_

'**Hmm, you may have a point, little colt. There had to be some kind of bargain so that he could teach us. I'm surprised he's not with the Uchiha.'**

The members of Team 7 made their way into the room where they were to meet with their sensei and were surprised to see that it was empty.

"Where is he?" Sakura looked around.

'_Dammit, Kakashi. You're late to everything!'_ Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Well, to Hell with it" Naruto began to peel off his shirt.

"W-what are you doing, pervert?" Sakura shouted, although her face was beet red.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I've got my eye on someone else" Naruto snorted before channeling his steam into the room.

As the temperature began to gradually rise, Shino began fidgeting with his collar and Sakura was fanning herself in an attempt to cool down.

Naruto produced a towel and tossed it to her," Here, if we're going to wait then we're going to wait in a sauna."

Sakura began to open her mouth to say something when she was stopped by Naruto's raised hand.

"No, we won't peek for Kami's sake."

The pinkette still hesitated before turning around and stripping off her dress while Shino took off his coat and goggles to the surprise of everyone present as it was the first time either of them had ever seen an Aburame without a heavy coat and glasses.

It was a pleasantly surprising sight.

The trio waited in the homemade sauna for three hours, gradually making small talk. The small talk escalated into getting to know one another and cracking jokes.

On the other side of the door, Kakashi smiled as his new team seemed to be getting along quite well.

'_I would expect no less from Naruto.'_

Kakashi opened the door and was immediately sweating from the compressed steam that had just blown right into his face.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei. Nice of you to finally join us" Naruto growled slightly at the tardy Cyclops.

"My first impression of you three is…I want to join you" Kakashi closed the door and got rid of the idea about meeting on the roof before stripping off his flak jacket and undershirt before settling down into a chair with a contented sigh.

"Just a word of warning, Kakashi sensei. If you're ever this late again, I'll boil your testicles from the inside out" Naruto shot the man a glare.

Kakashi paled considerably before nodding his head rapidly," So, let's get to know each other a little better."

"Well, we already know a lot about each other but I guess it wouldn't hurt. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I like all things hot and spicy. I dislike ice cream, spiders, and people who can't come up with good nicknames. My dream is to bring all the hidden villages together" Naruto smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"My name is Sakura Haruno and I like reading, Sasuke-kun, and learning. I dislike Ino-pig and perverts. My dream is to be a great kunoichi!" Sakura raised her fist and grinned ear to ear.

"My name is Shino Aburame and I like my insects, open minded people, and this village's forests. I dislike insect repellant, fly swatters, and ignorance. My dream is to find the legendary Tsuchigumo. A demon that is said to be able to shape shift into a giant spider."

'_Hmm, seems like we've got quite a good team here. I believe I've finally found the team to pass my test'_ Kakashi mused to himself.

"Well, we'll be meeting tomorrow at 7 A.M and start training. I don't recommend eating as you'll just throw it all up" Kakashi bid them farewell before disappearing into the steam.

"We better get a hardy breakfast tomorrow" Naruto started to dissipate the steam.

"But Kakashi-sensei told us not to!" Sakura protested.

"And why would he? All ninja need to be at full strength every day to be effective so I believe he was just bluffing."

"That seems like a logical test" Shino nodded his assent and planned to make an energy building meal.

"And Sakura…"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Stop starving yourself. A diet is something a shinobi does not need. With all the exercise we do, any calories you put in will be burned off after training" Naruto smiled before leaping out the window the Shino hot on his trail.

Sakura was left stunned, the image her parents had painted of Naruto completely falsified as she had talked with him about his life and realized just how genuinely good of a person he really was.

Maybe being on this team wouldn't be so bad.

***With Naruto***

Naruto was headed to the Hokage Tower to discuss his team placements with the source itself. His secretary looked up for a brief moment before ushering him into the old Kage's office with a soft smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat at his desk fighting valiantly against the ever growing threat known as paperwork when he heard," Old Man, you'd better tell me why there is a Sharingan user on my squad before I make all the ink on those papers run."

The Third Hokage froze in terror from the words of a ten year old genin," W-well, Naruto-kun. Ka-Kakashi specifically requested you for his team."

"And why is that? Does he hate me secretly?" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"No! Kakashi thinks of you as his younger brother, your father being hi-"The Third clammed up, knowing he'd spilled too much.

"My…father? What relationship does Kakashi have to my father?" Naruto's tone was dangerously low. He loved the Third but his family history came first dammit.

The Third sighed heavily before setting down his pipe," I was hoping to tell you this when you became a chunnin but you've proven you're intelligent enough to keep this a secret. Your father was Kakashi's sensei when he was a genin."

"So my father was Konoha's Yellow Flash, huh? Honestly, tell me something I didn't already know" Naruto cracked a smile.

"W-what?" Hiruzen croaked, his eyes as big as plates.

"He is the only man in the village who's hair is blonde, and the only one who has bright blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm surprised people haven't already figured it out."

The Third seemed to relax as Naruto seemed to take the information well," As for you moth-."

"I already know about her too. Kokuō told me when I asked him on my last birthday. I understand your reasons for keeping this information from me, Old Man. I do. I don't like it but I know my father and my mother both had a lot of enemies in extremely high places and my safety would be at risk" Naruto tried to put the Kage at ease that he wasn't about to boil the village to death.

"Naruto-kun, you're a fine young man. I know you'll take this hat one day" The Third embraced the young blonde.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage" Naruto smiled and addressed the leader the way a leader should be addressed.

Kokuō had drilled etiquette into him.

"You're welcome, Naruto-kun. I believe it is time for you to move into your family home. It's nothing grand, but it is quite upscale" Hiruzen handed a set of keys to the excited Jinchuuriki.

"I will make you proud, Lord Hokage" Naruto bowed deeply.

"You already have, my boy. Just one more thing before you leave" The Third put a hand on Naruto's shoulder to halt his exit.

"What is it, Lord Hokage?"

"Danzo is making moves again."

Just hearing the name, Naruto growled along with Kokuō.

Danzo was a large reason Naruto's life was anything but easy.

Killing his trusted ANBU guards and replacing them with his ROOT shinobi, informing mobs of when he was the most vulnerable, attacking him to try to induct him into ROOT.

Naruto was going to make sure he died nice and slow.

Danzo had been one of the main leaks of the S-rank secret regarding Naruto's tenant in hopes that the boy would be shunned and weak enough to be kidnapped and put through ROOT.

The old warhawk didn't factor in Naruto befriending the Gobi and gaining many friends around the village, including the entirety of the ANBU Black Ops.

Him making moves against Naruto and the Hokage was not a good sign at all, seeing as how the old veteran had always coveted the seat of Hokage.

"I'll make sure to stay wary of him, and keep my guard up" Naruto's eyes burned with a fire that reminded Hiruzen of his old mentor, Tobirama Senju.

The Second Hokage.

The Will of Fire burned strong in Naruto, and that made the aging Kage's heart beat a little more at peace.

"And one piece of advice for you, Lord Hokage. Since you were so kind as to come clean about my lineage then I feel you should know how to defeat paperwork" Naruto smiled widely as the Hokage leaned forward in complete anticipation.

"Two words. Shadow Clones."

All was quiet in the office for a full thirty seconds as the Kage tried to process the information that had been just given to him.

"I'll leave you to it then" Naruto leapt from the window to avoid the exploding head of the Hokage.

The Will of Fire burned strong.

Yes it did.

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update. I'm going to try to update all my other stories before I leave for Navy Basic Training on July 9****th****. I won't be back for quite awhile so I want to leave you all something to tide you over. Leave a review, leave a flame, leave your phone number (Ladies Only).**

**See you later, bro's.**

**And thank you, mellra, for just being you.**


	4. He Brings Out Strange Things in People

**So, I'm back and officially a United States Sailor! I'll be keeping up with all of my stories now that I have more time to actually think on my own! Hope you enjoy and thanks again to mellra for being amazing and patient.**

"Why is he always so damn late!?" Sakura shook her fist at the spot where her sensei should be standing, ready to give them their damn test. It had been well over two hours and all three newly-appointed genin were starving until Naruto had produced three boxes of food and a bottle of hot sauce out of apparent nothingness.

While Shino and Sakura ate, they made sure to sit as far as humanly possible away from the sin against humanity that resided in the jar next to Naruto's knee.

So, as his teammates ate and he cracked to seal on his bottle Naruto pondered the point of this test, ignoring the bark that was peeling off the trees and the birds that were fried to a crisp midlfight.

**'Well, it's obviously a test to weed out the weak genin who skated through the Academy on good grades.'**

_'I figured that, but I believe there's a much deeper meaning behind all of this.'_

**'Your instincts have never been wrong before. Except for that one time when you-'**

_'Let's not think about that right now,'_ Naruto silenced Kokuō rather hastily.

Right when the young shinobi were about to give up, their sensei appeared in a plume of smoke with his trademark eye-smile,"Yo!"

Suddenly, Kakashi's crotch began to get very hot, very, very hot.

"What did I say about being late again, Kakashi-sensei? I believe my words were, 'I will boil your testicles from the inside out'. Have you forgotten or do you just really not value your manhood?" Naruto increased the temperature again slightly.

"H-hot! HOT! I-I'm sorry, never again!" Kakashi shed millions of anime tears as he was at the mercy of his young student.

And just like that, his crotch cooled.

Although the mental scars still burned.

"T-today for your f-final test you will have to snatch these bells from me b-before time runs out. If you don't, you'll be returned to the Academy" Kakashi shakily produced two bells and placed a timer on a stump

"Easy enough" Naruto grinned and stepped forward, only to quickly find himself on the ground with a kunai pointed at the back of his head.

"I didn't say go, Naruto. You are a strong shinobi already, that I know, but you still have a ways to go before you're on par with a seasoned jonin" Kakashi had to admire Naruto's tenacity and with an eye smile, he let the grumbling blonde up.

'**You know you shouldn't underestimate him, he's right about you being powerful but you're also inexperienced, Naruto so don't be so quick to charge head on into a fight with an enemy you know nothing about.'**

'_Yeah, that was an idiotic move on my part. He's speed is incredible…We'll have to figure out some sort of strategy that makes speed useless…'_

"Shino, Sakura, follow me" Naruto flashed away into the trees, leaving a steam clone to keep the jonin somewhat occupied for the time being.

"Hmph, I expected more of a full frontal assault from Naruto" Kakashi mused to himself quietly.

**With the Trio**

"What are we going to do? We can't take on a jonin!" Sakura shouted.

"Yes, doing so would not be very beneficial to our health" Shino agreed with his teammate.

"Exactly, which is why we won't be taking him on from the front" Naruto grinned mischievously and whispered into his teammates ears.

Sakura's eyebrows rose along with Shino's as Naruto laid out a simple, but quite effective, plan.

Distraction.

With a devilish smile, Naruto brought his fingers into his favorite seal.

"**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu"** the blonde whispered and slowly, the training ground filled with mist supplied by the nearby pond.

'_Hmm, so he took away my sight, speed, and reduced my total combat effectiveness in one jutsu. Not bad, Naruto'_ Kakashi grinned slightly as he began to raise his headband.

A buzzing sound stopped him short, whipping his head back and forth he could not seem to locate the exact source of the annoying sound that seemed to fill every inch of his head.

_'What is that sound, I can't think straight,'_ Kakashi tried to shake his head of the overwhelming sound.

Naruto sat in a nearby tree, a wicked grin on his face as he witnessed his sensei fail to shake himself off of the sound. Their plan was going off without a hitch so far, it was Sakura's turn now.

Kakashi slowly began to inch forward, careful to observe his surroundings as best as the buzzing would allow.

_'One foot in front of the other...What is that ugly patch of dirt doing there? A trap that obvious, I'm kind of disappointed.'_

The cyclops stepped over the trap rather quickly, never noticing the rope hidden by a slight layer of dirt that lay right in front of the other trap.

With a sharp snap, Kakashi soon found himself suspended high above the training ground.

"And that's what you get for underestimating your opponent, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto appeared from his tree with his hand stretched out.

"Did you really think I'd be caught that easily?" the Kakashi in front of Naruto exploded in a cloud of smoke and Naruto crashed into the ground with a heavy thud.

Kakashi vaulted into the air and landed on the side of a tree, a small smile under his mask. His smile slowly began to falter as his chakra seemed to be depleting at an alarming rate.

"Seems you've forgotten about my bugs, Kakashi-sensei" Shino's voice droned from somewhere deep in the mist.

At his words, Kakashi's eyes feel onto his sleeve and saw hundreds of the bugs crawling over his skin. Using a small burst of chakra he quickly dissipated the swarm before leaping onto the ground.

"That was a surprisingly intricate plan" Kakashi had to give his genin credit where credit was due.

"I have a feeling you're about to say 'but' somewhere in that sentence" Naruto stood a cautious distance away from his sensei with Sakura and Shino on his flanks.

"But against a seasoned jonin, it was useless" Kakashi whipped out his porn book and started reading, much to Sakura's ire.

"Then I guess it's time to step it up. Shino, Sakura...Go!" Naruto shouted.

The Shino and Sakura standing next to Naruto exploded into more steam as his teammates rushed their sensei from the sides, as he charged up the middle.

_'Always impressing me' _Kakashi smiled as he deflected kunai and shuriken that were hurled at him before dropping to one knee and flashing through hand seals as Naruto neared.

"Naruto, watch out! He's making a jutsu!" Sakura cried to her teammate.

**'I've never seen those seals before' **Kokuō mused to Naruto.

The blonde was too late in stopping his charge, so he barreled on and threw a roundhouse kick at his sensei in a hope to disrupt his concentration. His hopes were in vain.

"**Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ōgi: Sennen Goroshi!" **Kakashi cried before firing two fingers up at the speed of light...

Right into Naruto's unprotected ass.

With a girly shriek, Naruto launched into the air and covered his violated butt up until the point he slammed into the lake.

**'That...that was just plain disturbing. I-I don't even have words.'**

_'You have no idea, you're not the one who just got violated' _Naruto sank to the bottom of the lake and stewed.

Shino and Sakura could only look on in stunned silence until they snapped into taijutsu stances and squared off with their teacher.

"We **will** get those bells, Kakashi-sensei" Sakura's voice sounded resolute.

"I agree, I refuse to go back to the Academy" Shino whipped his bugs into a frenzy.

"That makes three of us!" Naruto rocketed from the lake, his nose bursting out steam.

All three began to converge on their teacher, fists cocked back. It seemed they had their sensei dead to rights.

And then the timer rang.

It was as if all the steam, no pun intended, had been taken out of their attacks as they stared at the clock in horror. Even Shino was wide-eyed.

And when Shino show emotion, things are definitely not good.

"Well, my genin. You fail!" Kakashi whipped out a spool of rope and quickly bound Sakura to a post that resided on the field and then produced lunch.

"Eh? What's with the bento boxes?" Naruto questioned his sensei.

"Well, I've decided to give you all one more chance at a pass. So we'll break for lunch, only you can't feed Sakura. That's a direct order."

With a smile, Kakashi poofed away.

Sakura's stomach was the only thing making a sound.

"Did you not eat lunch, Sakura-san?" Shino asked.

"I did...I just pushed myself too hard today" she hung her head.

"Then here" Naruto held out his bento box, free of his hot sauce in respect for his teammates well being.

"B-but Kakashi-sensei ordered you not to!" Sakura was dumbfounded as Shino pressed his food forward too.

"Since when have I ever cared about orders? I may be somewhat mannered and loyal but I know when orders and laws are meant to be disobeyed. We're teammates, Sakura, and we won't let you fall behind!" Naruto smiled widely as Shino simply nodded.

With a small smile, Sakura bit into a riceball balanced between Naruto's chopsticks.

"What are you doing!? I ordered you not to feed her!" Kakashi's voice boomed across the field as he appeared in a large explosion that spelled doom for the genin.

"Feeding my teammate, Kakashi-sensei. Why would I leave her to starve when I have the tools to feed her?" Naruto replied nonchalantly.

"I am in agreement, our teammate does not need to suffer when we can help her. It is illogical" Shino took a step towards Naruto and Sakura.

"Well then, I only have one thing to say!" Kakashi reared his head back, the three genin prepared for the coming tongue lashing they were sure to receive.

"You! All! Pass!"

All three were stunned into total silence as their teacher had a good laugh at their expense.

Naruto was the first to react," Why?"

"Because, my cute little genin, in the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Your comrades come before anything and everything, and you should protect them with your life" Kakashi had a far away look in his eyes as he seemed to be remembering something from long ago.

"So what now?"

"Well, now we start taking missions" Kakashi stressed the word missions rather heavily.

"Why do I get the feeling these missions are going to suck?" Sakura wilted slightly.

"Oh, you'll find out...You'll find out."

**Two Days Later**

"This is the ninth time today that we've caught this stupid animal!" Naruto snarled at the daimyo's wife as she cradled the demon animal known as Tora to her cheek.

"Naruto, watch your temper" The Third Hokage spoke from behind him.

"Well maybe if she realized that she doesn't need to strangle the damn thing then it wouldn't run away and create a living hell for all people involved!" Naruto then proceeded to show the woman how to hold her cat properly.

When Tora's purring filled the air, the lady shrieked in delight and gave Team 7 a huge bonus before scampering out of the room at top speed.

"N-Naruto? Did you just end the Tora Crisis?" Hiruzen was speechless.

"You all have Kokuō to thank for that" Naruto mentally gave his bijuu a high five.

"I guess your team has earned a break, eh?" Hiruzen smiled before ushering the genin from the office for some well deserved rest and relaxation.

The teammates wandered down the streets as Naruto put his hood up to hide his face from the eyes of the villagers, the orange hoodie not doing much to distract them.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sakura looked at her teammate, or dare say she 'friend', in worry.

"Yeah, don't worry about it" he avoided the question deftly.

"So what arr all of your plans for our day off?" Shino inquired.

"Well, I was planning on finding a certain Hyuuga and taking her out for dinner. What about you guys?"

"I'm going to go see if Sasuke-kun wants to do something" Sakura sighed dreamily.

"You know that's he's going to say 'no', right?" Naruto grimaced slightly.

"The power of love will conqu-"

"Sakura, do you want to survive in the shinobi world?" Naruto angrily interrupted her.

"W-what's that supposed to mean?!" Sakura shouted.

"I realize that I myself goof around quite a lot, but when it comes down to the wire I have my skills to back up any idiocy I give off. No offense, but you can't say that! If you want to live in this world, then you have to have the skills to make sure that you do! If you want Sasuke to notice you then train! He wouldn't want a weak fangirl who only wants him for his status, put yourself above those shallow girls and show him what you're made of!" Naruto pumped his fist in a show of encouragement.

Sakura herself was speechless, she'd never expected such a blunt assesment from Naruto but she had to admit...He wasn't wrong.

"You need to focus on yourself instead of him all the time, I don't want to see you get injured, killed, or, Kami forbid, raped because you didn't have anyone to back you up" Naruto got really solemn as he looked at his teammate.

"Maybe you should as him to train with you, Sakura-san?" Shino added his opinion.

"I-I...Thank you, guys. Maybe I'll go find Ino and train" Sakura smiled slightly.

"We'll be with you to help every step of the way!" Naruto wrapped his arm around Shino's shoulder and gave her a wide smile.

Sakura thought to herself that maybe she was lucky to have been paired with these two.

Very lucky indeed.

**With Naruto (One Hour Later)**

"I had a great time, Hinata-chan" Naruto smiled gently and wrapped the Hyuuga girl in a hug as she blushed fiercely.

Right in front of the Hyuuga gate guards.

"Umm, Uzumaki-san?" one spoke up?"

"Yes, Hyuuga-san?" Naruto responded politely.

"Hinata-sama has fainted."

"Oh, so she has" Naruto laughed lightly as he handed the smiling girl over to the pair who smiled warmly in return.

It was no secret that Naruto was quite welcome at the Hyuuga Estates after he boiled a Kumo emissary to death after he'd tried to kidnap Hinata and run off to Kumo with the Byakugan. Fortunately, Naruto had been at the right place, at the right time as he'd been training with Kokuō in his steam manipulation.

After the very timely death of the emissary, Kumo had demanded the corpse of Hiashi Hyuuga with the Byakugan still active and untainted as recompense of the 'unprovoked and dastardly attack' on a Kumo official.

After some strong words from Naruto, including the first time he'd ever said the world 'bullshit', the Hokage vehemently denied Kumo's request and prepared for war. Every shinobi was put on high alert until Kumo finally backed down, knowing that they could not best Konoha.

They were still pissed about it to this day.

**'Well, colt. We still have to deal with Danzo sooner rather than later' **Kokuō echoed into his container's mind.

_'But how? He's an adviser to the Hokage and runs his own private army, I may be powerful but definitely not that powerful.'_

**'Well what about Sai?'**

Sai.

Naruto's only link to what Danzo was planning other than the Hokage himself. He'd met the pale skinned boy one day outside the orphanage, and something struck the blonde as odd.

Although Sai had worn a large smile, Naruto could see no warmth or actual emotion behind his ebony orbs. This had drawn Naruto to follow the boy deep into the forest as though some kind of force compelled him.

It was only after being caught and interrogated at length that Naruto had been able to convince the boy he was no enemy of Konoha, only a curious bystander. After a lengthy talk, Sai told Naruto that he reminded him of someone very dear to him.

When Naruto asked whom, Sai only smiled slightly. But, as the blonde boy was somewhat surprised to see, it was a genuine smile.

Since then, Naruto had spent years reversing what he'd found out was Danzo's taint from Sai's mind. Since then, the quiet boy was loyal friend and useful informant for Naruto as he wanted to protect his first real friend.

_'I think our best course of action would be to gather allies to assist in the fight that I'm sure is going to happen when we finally confront the old bastard.'_

**'But how are we to do that?'**

_'By looking high and low, allies seem to appear in the strangest ways. Sai is case in point.'_

**'You have a point, colt.'**

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by Hinata scampering back to him from inside the compound with a cry of," Naruto-kun!"

"Yes, Hinata-chan?" Naruto smiled widely.

"I just-I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful time tonight" Hinata smiled shyly.

"It was my pleasure, Hinata-chan. I do really enjoy spending time with you."

"T-thank you, Naruto-kun...Oh! I got you something" Hinata perked up and handed him a wrapped package.

The blonde quickly ripped the wrapping apart and found a book.

It was the book on the Uzumaki clan that he'd searched every library in Fire Country for. To the fourteen year old, this was one of the greatest gifts he'd ever received.

Hinata was quickly wrapped up in the tightest hug Naruto could give her.

"Thank you! Thank you! How did you find this!?" Naruto fired off his question.

"W-when my team went on our last mission, we rescued a traveling merchant who was grateful enough to allow us to pick something from his shop and this was the thing I picked, just for you Naruto-kun."

"Hinata, I can't thank you enough" Naruto began to lean in as did the Hyuuga heiress. Their faces got closer and closer until they were a few centimeters apart.

"Hinata-sama! Hiashi-sama has requeste-AH!" Neji Hyuuga stopped and did a double take at the scene he had stumbled upon.

_'Perfect timing as always, Neji'_ Naruto mentally groaned as the blushing Branch member quickly turned on his heel and left the pair alone again.

"Well, I guess your dad needs you" Naruto rubbed the pad of his thumb over Hinata's knuckles.

"I guess so" Hinata leaned up and quickly pecked Naruto's lips before sprinting back inside the compound at top speed.

As Naruto walked away, he couldn't suppress the giant smile on his face.

**A Week Later**

Kakashi stood before Naruto as the blonde was on his two-hundredth push up and gave a proud smile before checking on Sakura whom had drastically improved over the last few days.

At Naruto and Shino's request, Kakashi had upped the training to allow for Sakura to close the gap between her and her teammates.

After everything was said and done, Naruto had been appointed team leader when Kakashi was away. A fact that Kokuō was very proud of his container for.

The last week had consisted of nothing but boring D-rank missions. Picking weeds, painting fences, helping old women carry groceries home. If the missions weren't bad enough, a few of the villagers had tried to stiff Naruto out of his pay. Sakura and Shino were growing more and more worried about the well being of their teammate in the village.

They'd become so worried, in fact, that they'd discussed it with Kakashi. Kakashi had merely told them that it would be Naruto's choice whether he told them or not.

Naruto had still yet to crack under their unrelenting questioning.

**'You know you'll have to tell them eventually, right?"**

_'I realize this, I'm just trying to delay it as much as possible.'_

**'Delay it till when?"**

_'Till one or all of us are too drunk to remember.'_

**'You're a **_**jinchūriki, you can't get drunk.'**_

__'Shut up.'__

"So, Naruto..."

_'Here we go again.'_

"Yes, Sakura?" Naruto twitched.

"Why are the villagers so cold towards you?" she asked as she twiddled her fingers.

Naruto could only sigh in defeat before looking to Kakashi and nodding ever so slightly.

"What I'm about to tell you is a double S-rank secret that can only be disclosed by myself and Hokage-sama. Fourteen years ago, on October 10th, the Gobi attacked Konoha. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, battled against the beast for a few hours before permanently sealing it away inside of an infant, his son. That child was me, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, container of the Gobi and child of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze" Naruto stood proud as he told his tale to his two dumbfounded teammates.

"That's so...Ridiculous!" Sakura shouted, startling Naruto.

"W-what?" this was hardly the reaction he was expecting.

"Why do they blame you for something that you literally had absolutely no control over? It's just-it's just not right!" Sakura was so angry she was sputtering and her face was turning crimson quickly.

Even Shino was angry, if the buzzing of his insects was any indicator," That is...not logical!"

Kokuō could only smile as his container's fears were totally put to rest by his teammates.

"I...Thank you, guys. I really never expected you to react like this" Naruto had his hair covering his eyes, but his smile was wide.

"We're teammates, Naruto. Like you said, we'll be with you every step of the way" Sakura pulled Naruto to his feet.

"We'll protect you no matter what, Naruto-san" Shino stood by his side.

Kakashi could only smile at his genin as they gave Naruto the support he really needed the most," The same goes for me, Naruto."

Naruto's only response was a very wide smile.

**Hokage's Office an Hour Later**

"You needed to see us, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi addressed his superior.

"It seems as though your team is ready for its very first C-rank mission. Coincidentally, I just got a request from Wave for an escort detail."

"Who are we to be escorting, Hokage-sama?" Naruto spoke next.

Hiruzen motioned for his secretary to let the new client in, and into the room stumbled a middle-aged man clutching a sake bottle tightly in his hands.

"Who are these brats? I asked for a protection detail, not the latest class from daycare! These kids look like their barely out of diapers, let alone actual shinobi!"

Naruto blasted a bout of steam from his nostrils at the insult but reigned in his temper at Kokuō's urges.

**'Naruto, it would be bad for business if you killed the client yourself.'**

_'Temper...rising!'_

"I assure you, Tazuna-san. These are some of the best genin that this village has to offer, and their sensei is easily one of my best shinobi" Hiruzen held his hands up in a placating manner in hopes of appeasing the man.

"It seems like it's going to be an interesting mission" Sakura whispered to Shino.

"I agree, Sakura-san. It will be quite interesting to see if Naruto-san kills the client before we even leave the gates."

Sakura was shocked," Shino...did you just make a joke?"

"I...think it was."

"Naruto sure brings out strange things in people, doesn't he?"

"That he does, Sakura-san. That he does."

_**Man, it's been far to long since I've given you guys anything. I'm thankful for the people who hung with this story while I was at RTC and Corry Station for training, it's definitely been a real ride so far! Thanks to mellra for never giving up on me and keeping me super motivated! Be expecting plenty more updates from your favorite ginger!**_

_**See you next time!**_


	5. Protect Them With Your Own Light

**A new chapter for you guys as! I hope you enjoy, big thanks to mellra for being so damn patient!**

**And, of course, I don't own Naruto.**

**Yet.**

It had only been a few hours and yet Naruto was already fed up with the drunk he was escorting home. He was sour, sarcastic, and reeked of alcohol.

And that was when he was sober.

But, like in all other things, there was a silver lining. It was the first time Naruto had ever been outside the village and he took the opportunity to savor the sights and sounds of the surrounding forest.

It was also a perfect chance to give his new armor a test run.

Over his steam regulator were bronze plates and leather straps, made to protect his regulator in case of sudden attack. A small piston jutted out of the indent where his elbow was, adding a little extra punch when he focused his steam into it.

The only thing that frustrated the blonde was that he'd had to cut the left sleeves off of all of his shirts and hoodies to accommodate it.

The sun beat down heavily on the traveling group, the only one unaffected being Naruto, who was currently conversing with Kokuō.

_'So, is there anything you can tell me about Wave Country?'_

**'There's not much to tell, colt. It's an isolated island surrounded by rivers, I can see why this bridge builder would be so important.'**

"Man, it's so hot out here" Sakura wiped sweat off her brow.

"I agree" Shino was his usual quiet self, although you could see the sweat dripping down.

That's when Naruto saw it.

A puddle.

_'It's a solid eighty degrees outside and these guys honestly think this is clever. Stupid people really shouldn't be allowed to breed.'_

Catching Kakashi's eye, Naruto gestured to the puddle. Kakashi only nodded in acknowledgment before continuing on like nothing was wrong.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Naruto soldiered onward and trusted in his sensei's judgment.

As expected, when the group was no more than a few steps away, the puddle exploded and two shinobi bolted out from the billowing, white smoke.

Connected by a long chain, the pair wrapped the razor sharp extension around Kakashi and pulled with their forward momentum.

With a disgusting squelch, Kakashi came apart into multiple, gory pieces that decorated the forest floor.

"One little piggy" one hissed, delighted by the blood.

"And a few more to go" cackled the other as they set their sights on Naruto and Tazuna.

"Yeah, good luck with that" Naruto smirked before giving the piston on his arm a strong turn. Steam erupted from the back, like a geyser and Naruto's smirk only grew bigger.

A quick jolt of chakra into his legs sent him sailing forward at speeds that could rival most chunnin, his steam leaving an ominous trail behind him.

The two shinobi's eyes widened as the blonde bullet rocketed forward and connected with a powerful left hook, powerful enough to shatter a few of the ribs of the older.

"Gah!" the injured one cried as he felt a rib sink into his lung.

"Meizu! You little shit!" shouted the other as he separated the chain and charged forward in a rage.

Only to be stopped by a swarm of bugs and a hail of shuriken, courtesy of Shino and Sakura.

"Did you really think that genjutsu would work?" Sakura smiled dangerously as Shino shook his head.

"W-what do you mean?" Gozu took a half step backwards.

"It's over eighty degrees out and you decided to become a puddle, do the math" Naruto turned his piston another few degrees, his steam pumping wildly.

"Do you really think some genin punk can take down a B-ranked chunnin?" Gozu spat and readied his clawed gauntlet.

"Oh, I'm definitely going to try!"

The pair dashed at each other, Naruto being faster on the draw and closing in fast.

He unfortunately did not count on Meizu rising up and striking from his undefended side. Naruto's eyes widened fully as he tried to twist his body out of the way as best as he could.

Meizu's deadly claws grew closer and Naruto realized he'd been too eager, too overconfident, and he was about to pay for it.

**'Colt!' **Kokuō shouted and tried to think of something that could be done.

"Oh, no you don't!" came a voice.

With a grunt, Meizu was clotheslined by a very much alive Kakashi, leaving Naruto to deliver a devastating left cross across Gozu's shocked face. With a deep groan and, finally, a satisfyingly loud snap, Gozu's cheek bone shattered under the fist of the blonde and was sent hurtling back and into a tree, where he sank to the ground in agony.

Although he'd bested his opponent, Naruto felt no satisfaction.

_'Stupid! I let my ego get in the way of my better judgment, that was a stupid mistake!'_ Naruto mentally berated himself.

**'It's alright, colt. You're young, ready for a fight, it happens to the best. There aren't any mistakes, only lessons to be learned'** Kokuō did his best to encourage the blonde as he struggled with his anger.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Kakashi tied up the twins and doing a small bit of interrogation before checking his students over for any injuries, relieved to find none.

"I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei, Shino and Sakura did excellent work" Naruto smiled at his teammates.

"But what about you, Naruto? That was amazing!" Sakura smiled back.

"I agree, Naruto-san. You handled that chunnin quite well" Shino pushed up his glasses.

"I should have been more careful" Naruto frowned before sighing and shaking his head.

"It's alright, Naruto. You're young and you've got a lot to experience, you're smarter for that mistake now, aren't you?" Kakashi smiled.

"I-I guess so. Thank you, guys" Naruto shook himself off and smiled slightly.

"We're a team, my cute little genin. It's what we're supposed to do. But, there's another matter at hand, currently" Kakashi turned to face Tazuna, who was sweating a little bit.

"Y-yes, Kakashi-san?"

"What were two B-Rank shinobi doing waiting for you?" Kakashi grilled the man.

Tazuna sighed wearily before looking up at Kakashi with eyes that held no hope," As you know, Wave is not the most prosperous land, at the moment. We used to be full of wealth, full of life and hope and the will to live. That was all before Gato sank his claws into our hides. Under his 'rule', our lives were ruined, our wealth gone, and our women too scared to go out onto the streets. Our country is dying, Kakashi-san, and this bridge is our final hope. I beg you, please! We need this!"

Kakashi was taken aback by how bad the situation actually was in Wave," This is above a C-rank, Tazuna. Let me consult with my genin."

"You already know my answer, Kakashi-sensei. Nobody should have to go through what that country is going through now. If the team doesn't go, then I'll go on my own" Naruto's eyes blazed with a fury Kakashi had never seen in the normally friendly ninja.

"I'm with Naruto on this one, Kakashi-sensei. If we don't help, then who will?" Sakura was slightly afraid, but she wasn't going to let her hesitance doom a country.

Shino simply nodded, but judging from his posture, he was just as angered by the news.

"Well, it looks like we'll continue on mission. We'll help you, Tazuna-san" Kakashi smiled.

"I-I can't thank you enough, all of you" Tazuna bowed deeply, using the gesture to covertly wipe away a stray tear.

"Think nothing of it, where is our next stop?" Kakashi placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"We'll detour through a small village no more than a few miles away where we'll meet with my friend Takashi, it should cut our time in about half."

"Then let's go."

**An Hour Later**

"How much farther, Tazuna-san?" Naruto was curious, he was eager to meet some new people.

"Another few minutes, it should be ri-" Tazuna suddenly stopped and sucked his words in, his eyes going wide.

Ahead of them, was a massive pillar of smoke.

The size of a village.

"Oh, Kami. Please, no" Naruto's eyes went wide as well, as he could smell wood burning, along with something...Something sweeter.

Human flesh.

Tazuna took off towards the village, frantically whispering 'no' under his breath and paid no heed to Kakashi telling him to wait.

Naruto was right behind him, a feeling of dread forming a knot in his stomach.

When he arrived in the village square, he wished he hadn't followed.

Everything was on fire, the buildings, the corpses, the crops.

Everything.

"Takashi! Takashi?! Where are you!" Tazuna spun around wildly.

"Calm down, Tazuna-san. Where does Takashi live?" Naruto shook the man.

Tazuna simply pointed to the largest house before sinking down onto his knees in despair. The dirt turning into mud from the river of blood that seemed to flow from the makeshift courthouse in the dead center of town.

Naruto's steps were robotic, slow, as he made his way to the house of Takashi.

_'Maybe they're alright, maybe his family made it out'_ Naruto tried to calm himself, even though his senses were telling him otherwise.

His hand was on the door, a weight seemed to lay on his shoulders as he slowly opened up the door and stepped inside.

It was like stepping into Hell.

Blood smeared the walls, furniture was destroyed, a small fire was blossoming in the kitchen and worst of all...the smell of sex tainted the air, mixing with the smoke.

Takashi's family wasn't the only family that had taken refuge here, at least two dozen corpses lay before the shell-shocked genin as he slowly sank to his knees in utter disbelief at what he was seeing.

The men had obviously been tortured, most were missing limbs, heads, teeth, and nails. The women had been stripped, raped, and executed after the men had had their fun, their throats cut into angry smiles and their blood spider-webbing across the floor. And the children...

Oh, Kami. The children.

Naruto gagged on his lunch as he took in the little bodies that were strewn down the hallways, he wailed as he saw that the smallest one was an infant that couldn't have been more than a few months old.

_'Who could do this? What kind of sick, perverted beasts could do something like this?'_

The grief was too much, the sight in front of him too much.

Naruto threw back his head and wailed, cursing the men who could perform such travesties against the helpless people of the world. He cried for the empty feeling that sat inside of him. Was this how all of the world was? Was this all he could expect from his life of being a shinobi?

He fell onto his backside and kicked away from the scene in front of him until his back met the wall, tears now just fell silently from his wide eyes, his knees were pulled up to his chest.

Sure, he'd killed a man before but...he'd never seen anything this inhumane, this disgustingly brutal.

Emotions swirled within him and he soon found himself sucked into his mindscape, where Kokuō looked down upon him with large, sad eyes.

"**Colt..."**

"Is this how the entire world is? How can people b-be so damn cruel!?" Naruto shouted and shook his head wildly.

Kokuō couldn't think of anything to do but put his muzzle on the top of his vessel's head and gently rub against his spiky hair.

"**Sometimes Colt, we need to be hurt in order to grow. We need to see the horrors in the world in order to combat them. We must lose in order to gain. Sometimes, lessons are learned best through pain. The world can be a cold and cruel place, full of misery and hardships. You have to rise above it, you have to protect the people you love and cherish with your own strength, with your own light" **Kokuō breathed through his nose and continued to rub Naruto's hair.

Naruto was silent for a good long while before he looked up at the bijuu with eyes that held more passion and fire than the hottest piece of brimstone.

"Then I will! I'll save this world from becoming consumed with hate and hopelessness! I will be the new light that guides the world toward peace! That's my nindo, and I'll die to uphold it!" Naruto dried his eyes and shouted these words to the heaven's themselves, hoping Kami would hear it.

"**I know you will, Naruto. I have total faith in you" **Kokuō smiled and thanked the divines that he'd been placed in a container so pure and selfless.

"Thank you, Kokuō" Naruto smiled lightly and ran his hand across the muzzle that had gently comforted him.

The young shinobi opened his eyes in the real world and rose onto shaky legs and sucked in a deep breath before steadying himself.

"Naruto?" Sakura's timid voice drifted in from outside and before he could warn her, she stepped inside as well.

The young kunoichi opened and closed her mouth wordlessly as the horror delved deep into her core. Tears began to pool in her emerald eyes, her mouth gaping open.

Just before she began to go into hysterics, Naruto had her wrapped up in a tight hug, almost as if he was trying to shield her from the horror.

"Don't look anymore, Sakura. Just don't, don't let it consume you" Naruto's own tears began to flow again.

As quickly as he could, Naruto ushered himself and Sakura outside of the house of horror and back into the burning village. Kakashi had Tazuna and Shino was gazing at the fires, his insects buzzing lowly.

"Naruto, Sakura? Are you two alright?" Kakashi looked worriedly at his students, more particularly at Sakura who was shaking like a leaf.

"We'll be fine, Kakashi-sensei. We should leave" Naruto had no intention of staying in this graveyard for any longer than he had to.

"Tazuna-san? We're about to move" Kakashi shook the older man by the shoulder gently.

Tazuna didn't respond verbally, only giving a hollow nod before trudging away from the village.

As Team 7 left, Naruto stayed at the back, head bowed in contemplation. Although Kokuō had bolstered his trepidation Naruto still couldn't wrap his mind around how cruel humans could be. Were we really worth any kind of redemption when acts like these ran rampant in every corner of the world?

**'May I ask you something, colt?'**

_'Of course, Kokuō. What is it?'_

**'If there are a few drops of dirty water in the ocean, does that make the ocean itself unclean?'**

_'N-no, but what does that...?' _Naruto trailed off as he began to understand the meaning.

Kokuō was right, Naruto couldn't lose hope now, and he couldn't let Sakura or Shino lose it either.

**An Hour Later**

Team 7 continued to trudge along, eyes downcast, bodies slightly slumped. Tazuna hadn't said a word in over an hour, only the occasional sigh. The mist around them seemed to weigh down like a shroud of iron.

Surprisingly enough, it was Shino who broke the silence," How could humans be so...Illogical?"

"It's human nature, every person in the world is capable of such evil" Kakashi kept his eye on the path in front of him.

"H-how could anyone do these k-kind of things? Who could do these things?" Sakura still looked rather green, and her eyes were still slightly red.

"War orphans, abused children who grew into hateful adults, there's plenty of reasons."

"It was the First Hokage's dream to see an end to the bloodshed, the war, all of the world's pain. I wonder what he'd think now" Naruto sighed.

"Do you think there will ever be an end to war, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Shino.

"No" was Kakashi's short answer.

"Wh-why not?"

"Because without evil, sometimes the good can become corrupt, in a sad way, negative creates positive if you're willing to look at it that way. It's all about perspective. There is purpose and lessons in everything, you just have to look. Mistakes don't exist, only lessons."

"You can't have yin without having yang" Shino surmised.

"It's our job to make sure that there is more yang in the world than yin."

"Yeah, it's our-" Naruto paused mid-sentence and looked around cautiously.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi was on edge as well.

"This mist isn't natural, it's full of chakra" the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up. The air was still, and Naruto could hear the sound of something disrupting the silence.

Something flying towards them.

"Everyone down!" Naruto shouted as everyone hit the dirt just in time to see a massive blade fly over them and impale itself into a tree.

"I know that sword" Kakashi sprang to his feet with a kunai gripped tightly in his hand and began to lift his forehead protector as a tall man landed on the hilt. From his facial bandages to his lack of eyebrows, the muscular swordsman screamed intimidation.

"Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist. At your service" bowed the now identified missing nin.

"What do you want with us, Zabuza?"

"It's not you I want, but the bridge builder!"

"So, the mighty Zabuza can be easily bought by scum like Gato. How sad" Kakashi shook his head.

"Enough talk!" Zabuza disappeared as the mist around them thickened. Dark chuckles reverberated around the small clearing, visibly shaking Sakura and Tazuna. Even Shino was not spared as a small bead of sweat made its way down his forehead.

Naruto and Kakashi stood tall, the jonin slightly more confident than the blonde.

"The heart, the spine, the larynx, the liver, where do you want to be hit?" Zabuza's chuckle was pure malice.

"Naruto, now!" cried Kakashi.

Naruto flared his potent chakra and dispelled the mist in one large blast," You chose the wrong jutsu to use on us!"

Zabuza was revealed right behind Naruto, his sword poised to take off the top of his head," You little brat!"

His only answer was a roundhouse kick to the face from Kakashi and a blast of compressed steam from Naruto's arm.

"So, you're the one who destroyed that village? I can't wait to put you in the ground" Naruto growled.

"Village? I haven't hit a village in ages, no point in it" Zabuza picked himself up off the ground and stood on slightly unsteady legs.

"No more talking, you're still a threat to my team and myself" Kakashi pulled up his headband to reveal a fully matured Sharingan eye.

"Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja. Never thought I'd ever get the chance to fight the son of the White Fang" Zabuza's bloodlust only seemed to spike as he reveled in the opportunity to fight such a strong opponent.

Sakura stepped back to protect Tazuna as Shino stood next to his sensei and teammate, ready to do battle with the dangerous missing nin.

"You're outmatched Zabuza, you've lost your advantage in the mist. You might as well give up while you can" Kakashi leapt forward, his kunai flashing and proceeded to lock blades with the massive blade of Zabuza.

Kubikiribōchō easily severed the small kunai in half and forced Kakashi to jump back as a swarm of kikaichū insects buzzed in to distract Zabuza.

Naruto leapt high in the air, his steam pouring in droves from his gauntlet and aimed to bring it down on the Demon on the Mist's head, his knuckles digging deep into Zabuza's scalp. The blonde grinned in victory, he'd believed he'd taken out a missing nin in one shot.

Only to have said ninja dissolve into water and feel cold steel run through his chest, the tip of the blade appearing from his shattered sternum.

Everything seemed to come to a stop, Sakura's mouth was open in abject horror as Shino's eyes widened to uncharacteristic proportions.

"Naruto!" Kakashi cried as he watched his student slump against the blade, the last of his life slipping away.

"And that's what you get for pretending to be a shinobi, boy" Zabuza smirked behind his bandaged face.

And that's when Naruto grinned again.

"**Steam Clone: Katsu**."

Now it was Zabuza's turn to shout as he quickly found himself blown back by scalding steam that left his skin an angry red.

With a pained grunt, Zabuza hauled himself onto his feet and growled," Clever, you little twerp. I'll give you that much. But it'll take a lot more than that to take me out."

Zabuza summoned the remainder of his strength and kicked Kakashi out onto the small lake that mostly dominated the clearing where he then strode out.

"Allow me to handle this, Naruto" Kakashi stood on the water with this Sharingan blazing and his masked mouth twisted into a small scowl.

"Get ready do face my most fearsome water jutsu!"

"Oh, how scary! And here I forgot to pack my ninja water wings."

The eyebrowless swordsman saw red and a snarl ripped from his throat.

Zabuza began making seals for a jutsu and to his utter surprise, Kakashi was copying them with ease, he was actually slightly ahead of his own seals!

"How are you doing this? Are you-?"

"Reading your mind? I'm one step ahead of you, Zabuza. I'm sure you've heard the rumors, that I can see the future? All I see in your future is death!"

"**Suiton: Water Dragon Jutsu**!" both fighters roared at the same time, two massive dragons forming in the nearby lake and rushing at their respective targets.

But, as Kakashi said.

He was one step ahead. Kakashi's Water Dragon slammed into Zabuza with the force of a gale wind and whipped the missing nin straight into a tree, where a sickening crunch could be heard around the clearing.

Zabuza wracked his body with a heavy cough as blood stained his bandages a light burgundy color.

"This is it Zabuza, I hope you've made peace with whatever you believe in" Kakashi readied another kunai to run through Zabuza with.

The Demon would have offered a rebuttal but his reply was cut short by three senbon needles puncturing his neck at high speed.

With a gasp, the Demon of the Mist collapsed onto the ground and didn't move again.

The group then heard the rustling of leaves above them, finding what looked to be a young woman in a porcelain mask standing in the tree above them.

"I appreciate the help, I'm not sure I would have been able to take down Zabuza-san myself. The Village Hidden in the Mist has been hunting him for quite sometime" the mysterious ninja dropped from the tree and landed next to Zabuza, looping an arm around his shoulder.

"Where are you taking his body?" Sakura piped up.

"I'm bringing his corpse somewhere where I can dispose of him properly, as is the mission of the hunter-nin."

"Then why don't you destroy his body here?" Naruto grew suspicious.

The hunter-nin began to sweat," I would prefer to keep any Mist secrets out of the hands of enemy shinobi."

"Konoha and Mist aren't enemies, who are you really, hunter-san?" Kakashi took a step forward.

"Goodbye" the ninja suddenly disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Damn, he got away. I didn't even sense him" Kakashi swayed slightly.

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you okay?" Naruto stepped towards his teacher and caught him as he fell.

"I used too much chakra from the Sharingan. My body totally shut down" Kakashi remained limp as Naruto placed him on his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. We've got you" Sakura rummaged around in her pack for her soldier pills before handing one to her teacher, who took it gratefully.

"How much farther is your house, Tazuna-san?"

"Not much farther, maybe twenty minutes or so."

"Well, we need to get Kakashi-sensei somewhere he can recuperate, so by all means, lead the way."

**Tazuna's House**

The home of the bridge builder and his family was actually quite spacious, given the conditions the rest of the country was in.

"Tsunami? I'm home!" Tazuna called.

A very attractive women with dark blue hair slid the door open and smiled widely," Dad! I'm so glad to see that you're alright! Are these the ninja that are here to help?"

"This is Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Shino. They've already put their lives on the line for me twice."

"You ran into trouble?" Tsunami asked worriedly.

"Just a few rogue ninja, ma'am. Nothing we couldn't handle" Naruto bowed slightly to show his respect.

Just as Naruto spoke, a little boy wearing a striped bucket hat scampered onto the porch and gave the Konoha shinobi a look.

"Who are these losers?"

Naruto's eye twitched dangerously before he cooled himself down with a lot of effort," We're the ninja who are protecting your grandfather, Tazuna."

"Really? You still look like losers to me."

_'Gonna kill him, gonna kill him, gonna kill him.'_

**'Calm down, colt. He's only a kid.'**

"And what's with those red things under your eyes, they look stupid."

**'Gonna kill him, gonna kill him, gonna kill him.'**

Seeing steam begin to pour from Naruto's ear, Sakura stepped between him and the boy.

"Inari! Be nice, these ninja are putting themselves in harm's way just for us, they're the closest things we have to heroes in this time, show some respect!" Tsunami admonished the young boy.

"Whatever, heroes don't exist, they'll be dead within the week" Inari glared at them before shuffling inside.

"He must be fun at parties" Naruto mumbled.

"Please forgive him, we've all lost a lot in the past few months. Inari most of all" Tsunami placated to the blonde.

Naruto sighed and shook himself off before offering an apology for almost losing his cool.

"We can understand, maybe we can convince him that not everything is totally lost."

Something clicked in Naruto's mind, he would have to prove that there are still heroes in the world.

He would prove it to everyone.

**Well, there's the next chapter in this lovely story and I hope you all enjoyed thoroughly! **

**See you later!**


	6. And the Plot Thickens

**So, I'm not dead just yet everyone! I just got back from California and I'm now moving into a new place of my own so it's been an eventful few months but mellra has kept with me the entire time and for that I'm extremely grateful. Again, I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait and many of my other stories will get there very own loving updates.**

**I don't own Naruto just yet, my friends.**

"It seems as though Kakashi's team is bogged down in Wave Country."

"Yes, most unfortunate, I wonder who could have tipped Zabuza and his apprentice off."

"Danzo-sama, I didn't realize you were one for jokes."

"A jest here and there doesn't hurt, eh? Hopefully our young Naruto will die by the man's hands, it'd save me the time and effort of dispatching my own forces to do it. Gods above they find evidence of my tampering in Wave."

"You had a hand in Wave's current condition, Danzo-sama?"

"I may have had some...extracurricular activities there. A few strings pulled, a few people silenced. Nothing overly large, just enough to snag my foot if I was discovered."

"Should I make sure all evidence is correctly appropriated, Danzo-sama?"

"Yes, Sai. A fantastic idea, see to it at once."

"Of course, Danzo-sama" Sai bowed and walked away.

If only Danzo had noticed the almost minuscule smile that slowly crept onto his apprentice's face, he may have caught on to what Sai was planning.

**Wave**

Time progressed very slowly for the group of young shinobi and their sensei as they trained for the coming fight with Zabuza and his mysterious accomplice. Naruto had been brushing up on different water and fire techniques to offset his almost complete mastery of his budding steam powers.

Shino had located a new type of insect in a large forest a few kilometers from Tazuna's house that seemed almost totally resistant to any kind of heat or fire and was currently breeding his own partners with this new species to form a type of insect that couldn't be dispelled with a simple fire jutsu.

Kakashi had focused the most heavily on Sakura who was quite far behind the other two growing shinobi, but her progress was nothing to be scoffed at as she was quickly becoming very adept at genjustu and with her perfect chakra control, was working on very precise water jutsu.

All in the household were tense and on edge as they went about their days, silently praying that Zabuza hadn't recovered quick enough to mount a counter attack while they were still preparing.

Finally, almost mercifully, it was time for Tsunami to go to town to get groceries. Naruto jumped at the chance to escort her, something to break the monotony of the routine his team had found themselves in.

"So, where exactly in town are we going, Tsunami-san?" Naruto tucked his arms behind his head and stared at the road in front of him.

"Just to the market, we have to stay clear of the bathhouse," Tsunami seemed unnerved simply by the mention of the bathhouse.

"Gato's men are there, aren't they?" Naruto's tone turned quite menacing.

"N-Naruto, it's nothing. Really!"

"We're going to be passing by this bathhouse, Tsuami-san, and I'll see if I can't have a word with the 'gentlemen' that occupy it."

**'Colt, are you sure you want to do this?'**

_'I am, my friend. We can both guess what these men are doing at this 'bathhouse' and I don't exactly feel like letting it go on.'_

**'You and me both, Colt. Just make sure you do it quietly, any kind of suspicious activities and Gato will increase his pressure on the town.'**

_'Of course, I do possess some finesse, thank you.'_

**'As much finesse as a bull in a china shop.'**

With a snort, Naruto continued on, planning his means of attack and interrogation. Kokuō had a definite point, stealth was the only option here. Too much of a scene and Gato will know he's not just dealing with some freshly minted genin team.

No, this would be a great exercise for him.

_'Hmm, well, I suppose I could wait outside until someone comes stumbling out then kill him, henge into him, and make my way inside. Any bathhouse is going to have an abundance of steam, so that will be a major advantage, and great information gathering tool.'_

**'I like it when you're in serious mode, Colt. It's incredibly impressive! Now, if only you could stay that way once in a while.'**

_'Oh, you're a comedian now, eh? Funny' _Naruto grumbled.

As they neared the town, Naruto allowed a steam clone to escort Tsunami to the market while he preformed a recon of the area.

The bathhouse stood directly to his left, if the heat it was giving off was any indicator. It was a largish, two story building that had two armed guards in front of it. A giant sign that read,' Grand Re-Opening for Gato and Associates' hung from the overhang in front of the doors.

"I'm going to have to move fast, it looks like the 'Grand Opening' is about to start" Naruto scowled as he saw a line of scantily clad women being hustled inside the building by another armed guard towards the back of the building, through an alleyway.

Slinking along the rooftops, Naruto dropped down silently behind the guard and wrapped his hands around his throat, his gauntlet cutting into the man's flesh.

"Where did you get these girls?" Naruto hissed into the man's ear.

"W-what the fuck?" the guard sputtered out before Naruto repeated his question, after applying pressure to the man's neck.

"This is the last time I'll ask, where did you get these girls?"

"A-a sm-small village, w-we hit it yesterday. S-some old man named T-takashi tried to stop us and we-"

Naruto cut the man off by snapping his neck quickly. The girls in front of him quivered in fear, then slowly began to relax as Naruto made quick work of there shackles," Go, hide in the village. I'll take care of this place."

The women nodded quickly before heading deeper into the village.

Now there was no one around but Gato's men and Naruto.

And Naruto was definitely taking the gloves off for this one, and a few dozen heads.

**'Don't let your anger consume you, Colt. Don't allow it to cloud how you think. It's a slippery slope.'**

_'I can do this, Kokuō. I won't lose myself, I won't become these men.'_

Quickly checking the back door, Naruto quietly slipped inside with nary a sound. Inside, he found the laundry section of the bathhouse and not a guard in sight.

"Ishi! Hey, Ishi, is that new shipment in yet? We're dying to check out the merchandise for 'quality assurance'!" a voice giggled lightly and Naruto bristled at the callousness of the man.

When Ishi didn't answer, the thug in the other room went to check on him.

"What's wrong, Ishi? Stop counting your balls and bring the girls in, we're getting bo-"

Standing there, clad in leather armor, was Ishi scratching his head sheepishly.

"Hehe, no problem. I was just making sure the produce was 'fresh'" Ishi smiled in embarrassment.

"Oh, Ishi, you dog! Take your time, you're always working so hard. Some of us were beginning to question which team you were playing for!" the other thug chuckled heartily before turning on his heel and walking away, shaking his head merrily.

'Ishi' quickly made sure the man was gone before slowly disappearing into smoke and reverting back into Naruto.

**'Quick thinking, Colt. I didn't think that was your strong suit.'**

_'Hardy-har. Very funny.'_

Focusing his hearing, Naruto could hear the distinct footfalls of an estimated eight men. It didn't seem like they possessed much chakra, the highest being about a genin. All in all, incapacitating them shouldn't prove to be overly difficult.

Judging by the shambling gait of one, he was obviously heavily intoxicated. The sound of water being poured over hot coals silenced much, but gave Naruto a wicked idea.

Discarding his orange hoodie, leaving him in his white shirt and black pants, Naruto willed the steam to thicken to near blinding proportions.

"Sweet Kami, Hamaru! How much steam do you need?!" a voice mock-shouted through the steam.

"I-(hic)-d-didn't think I added that mush" came the slurred response.

Naruto took the lapse of sight by swiftly having a steam clone lock every exit from the outside. There would be no escape until he had gotten his answers.

"H-hey! Someone crack a door, it's beginning to get uncomfortable in here!"

"Yeah! W-wait! They're all locked from the outside! Someone's fucking with us!"

Naruto smiled grimly before opening his mouth and allowing some of the steam to dissipate," Fucking with you? Oh, no. Not yet. It's only just begun."

"Who the hell are you, kid? If you don't let us out right now we'll make sure you and your whole damn family pays the price for messing with Gato's men."

**'It's time to turn up the heat a bit, Colt.'**

_'I would have to agree with you, Kokuō. Let's see if what Anko taught me is as effective as she made it seem.'_

"I don't believe you're in any position to do anything, scum" Naruto narrowed his eyes before increasing the heat of the steam dramatically.

The group of bandit's began crying out in pain and their skin began to turn an angry shade of dark red, signifying their process of being slowly cooked.

As quickly as the steam had gathered, it dispersed with a wave of Naruto's hand.

"Now, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. Answer them truthfully and fully and you get to live. Answer them falsely or in an incomplete manner and I will cook you from the inside out. Sound like a fair trade, scum?" Naruto's smile was sickly condescending and his tone was clipped and dripping with venom.

In unison, the thugs all nodded their heads quickly.

"W-w-we'll tell you anything you want!"

"Good, first question. Where is Gato right now, at this exact moment in time?"

"H-he's out inspecting the town! Making sure that everyone's been subjugated by our patrols. He's a creature of habits! I-in the morning he wakes up at the same time, showers at the same time, has his 'fun' at the same time, and leaves to do the same things at the same times!"

"And what kind of things does a murdering, psychopathic CEO do. I can't imagine he goes golfing or does yoga."

"H-he'll inspect the town at noon, eat at one o'clock, round up new 'volunteers' at four o'clock, and be home by eight o'clock! That's all I know, I swear!" the man's eyes were wide and full of terrified tears.

"Oh, I believe you. Second question, where does Gato live? I want to know where the bastard lays his head to sleep, I want to know where he eats, I want to know where he shits. Is that clear?"

O-of course! He lives about t-ten miles outside of the village in his summer mansion. It's massive! It's f-four stories, made entirely with reinforced bamboo, with enough security measures and guards to hold back an army of men. Getting in is near i-impossible. Every attempt has failed so far!" the thugs were sweating heavily, a cold sweat against their burned bodies that almost drove them mad.

"How many attempts have there been?" Naruto rose his eyebrow in a curious fashion.

"O-only three! All of them were villagers out for revenge, they never even got through the gate."

"What kind of security measures are there? How many men are stationed to protect the sack of shit?"

"W-we don't know everything, kid! We're part of the town's forces, his forces are made up of his best hired men! We don't know what Gato is packing at his place."

Naruto smiled again before the mist began to thicken quickly," You're lying to me. First, you describe the mansion to me in almost perfect detail, then you mention a gate. You've obviously been there before. Guess you're going to have to be 'encouraged' a little more."

Blisters began to appear on the faces of the thugs as they desperately squirmed in an attempt to somehow alleviate the pain.

"AH! Okay! For the love of Kami, stop! I'll tell you anything you want! Anything, to the finest detail!"

"Well, since you asked nicely."

The one known as Hamaru was groaning lowly in pain as the others writhed in agony, the slightest twist sending waves of overwhelming pain rippling through their bodies.

"Security measures, spit them out."

"Security cameras, trip wires near every entrance, a Nightingale Floor in the hall to his study and bedroom, steel reinforcements on every window in the mansion. There are three guard towers in the north, south, and east parts of the mansion armed with archers. There are always at least seventy-five of his best guards on station, a-and another thirty on standby in case of an emergency. It's a fortress, kid. It's suicide!"

"To untrained villagers and samurai maybe. To a shinobi, it's a walk in the park."

"What else does Gato own in this village? What establishments are owned totally by him?"

"H-he owns three stalls in the nicer part of the shopping center, two more bathhouses that are under construction, a statue in the park, and the local police station is totally run by his thugs. We-we've answered all of your questions. Let us go to a hospital!"

"Oh? I have one final question. There was a village outside of this one, do you know what happened to it?" Naruto's expression was deceivingly neutral.

"Y-yeah. We raided it, they wouldn't accept Gato as their leader. So he dispatched my squad to d-discipline them. O-one thing led to another and the village was on fire. We took what women and supplies survived and began our trek home. W-why do you care about some backwater village?"

"I care about every 'backwater village, scum. I just needed to be sure you all were equally guilty of the same crime" Naruto's smile was so dangerous, it was almost as if the air in the room had disappeared.

The men were gasping for air as Naruto raised his hand for a final time," I appreciate the help. If you believe in reincarnation, maybe you'll do better in the next life. Just know, I don't enjoy killing you this way, but I'll take solace in the fact that eight pieces of dirt have been wiped away."

"Pl-please! No, not like this!"

"How many of the people you killed, women you raped, and children you slaughtered thought the same thing?"

Naruto allowed the steam to gather again, becoming hot enough to be felt the next block over, he made sure it had enough chakra to last upwards of thirty minutes before sauntering out the bath house with his head down.

Their screams echoed in his mind and around the village, drawing the attention of a wandering patrol who sprinted over and busted down the door. Compressed steam roared out, making them skid backwards and giving a light burn.

"Wh-what the fuck!?"

When the first thug peeked his head in, all he found were skeletons with partially melted skin still attached to a few pieces of bone.

By that time, Naruto was already blocks away.

He had a few more places to visit.

**Tazuna's House: Two Hours Later**

Naruto and Tsunami casually strolled into the house, Tsunami wearing a wide grin.

"Father, you'll never guess what happened! Someone destroyed every building that Gato owns in the village!"

"Yes, Tsunami I've heard. A messenger just delivered a message to me. Gato has called all of his forces back to his mansion."

"I wonder if that includes Zabuza and his little hunter-nin helper" Kakashi scratched his chin through his mask.

"I would assume so, knowing Gato. He'd sacrifice everyone of his men to save his sorry hide."

"Maybe he's planning an assault on the village. Maybe he thinks the force that destroyed his establishments is larger than it really is. Isn't that right, Naruto?" Kakashi glanced at his student, who seemed to be pondering something deeply.

"I couldn't let him continue what he was doing, Kakashi-sensei. It was just...wrong."

"I just wish you would have thought this through a little more. Now we have to step up plans to counter whatever idea he has."

"Why not assault him directly? He may have many guards, but only two shinobi to command. We don't even know for sure if Zabuza and his assistant are even there. If we hit him now, he can't recover in time to hit the village."

"Naruto-san has a point, do you know how long it would take for his full force to build up, Tazuna-san?" Shion spoke quietly.

"At least a week, give or take a few days."

"Then we have time to recon the mansion and make a judgement" Kakashi sighed at the position he and his team had been put in, granted it would have happened sooner or later.

"We'll go tomorrow night then, we'll scout the area and if it seems like a good time, we'll launch an attack if we're prepared enough."

"Naruto, I'd like to talk to you" Kakashi gestured outside and Naruto nodded.

Stepping away from the group, the pair walked outside and silently shut the door behind them.

"What's on your mind, Naruto. I've only seen that look on people who just had their first interrogation session."

"I had to torture a group of Gato's men to get the information about his businesses. I didn't care how much I hurt them, how much they screamed and after it was all over I wondered to myself if that's what those men thought every time they murdered someone, when they raped a woman, when they burned villages to the ground. Am I somehow justified in my actions? That because they were terrible men, that torturing them was deemed okay?" Naruto was too calm for Kakashi's taste.

"In a totally backwards, terrible way, you are right in the way justice works. Bad people deserve bad things to happen, right? Naruto, we're shinobi. We kill for a living, even the First Hokage himself has ended the lives of countless enemies. There is no gain without loss, and there are people who's souls are far too dark to redeem. They shut themselves in, away from the light and allowed their problems to fester inside them in the dark. Souls that have become to rotten and dark are no longer human, they've lost their claim to humanity. We are not better people for doing it, we are better people for not taking pride in what we do, we do it for what we believe is for the betterment of the world. If you dwell on it so much, you'll lose yourself in it, Naruto. I've been in your exact shoes" Kakashi placed his hand on his students shoulder.

"It's a desolate world we live in, isn't it?" Naruto smiled sadly and looked to the sky.

"Only if we make it that way, Naruto. For the people of Wave right now this world is totally desolate and hopeless. We have the power to fix that, to make it better."

**'As long as people that have as big of a heart as you exist, Colt, the world will never be totally hopeless.'**

_'Thank you...Both of you' _Naruto thought solely to himself as his smile brightned.

"Well, I better make sure my equipment is ready for tomorrow" Naruto placed his hand behind his head and walked back inside.

Kakashi smiled to himself before following right behind his student. That smile didn't leave his face until dinner.

**Tazuna's House: Dinner Time**

The atmosphere in the house was much more jovial than it had been in months. Tazuna knew that this was the most chance his village had stood against Gato since before Kaiza had been killed.

After Inari's initial outburst, Tazuna had told them the story of Gato's terrible rise to power. They all now had a point of empathy for the small boy.

But, per the way the universe works, that empathy point was going to be worn thin.

"Here's to sticking it to Gato!" Tazuna raised his glass and all chuckled, even the stoic Shino.

The light atmosphere was totally shattered by Inari slamming his hands onto the table and spilling the food onto the floor," What makes you think you have any chance against Gato?! He's killed anyone who's come after him so what makes any of you so special? Why do you even care!? Why don't you go back to your peaceful villages! How would any of you understand our pain? None of you have ever experienced pain in your life!"

The room was eerily quiet, save Inari's heavy breathing.

A large sigh broke the silence and all heads turned towards Naruto as his head drooped down, his hair shadowing his eyes.

"You know, Inari, a massive part of me wants to be angry at you, scream that you have no idea what I've been through, that you could never compare your pain with mine. Something I've learned in my short life is that if you compare pain you lose any chance at joy. Comparison is the thief of joy itself. If all you think about is your pain, then you're stuck there with no hope of ever finding happiness. I stopped thinking of my past a long time ago, maybe you should too" Naruto brushed himself off before standing and walking to the door, giving Inari a final smile before stepping outside into the night.

"Should we go after him, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura was very worried for her teammate.

"Maybe it would be best to let him burn off his frustration, Sakura-san. Naruto-san is an incredibly strong person" Shino spoke before excusing himself to go to bed.

The house was very quiet that night.

**The Next Morning**

A lone figure strolled through the forest, a basket in hand, humming quietly to themselves.

Naruto stirred at the humming, grumbling about a lack of peace and quiet and asking who in the hell hums this early.

"You know, you shouldn't sleep out here. You'll catch a cold" a gentle voice stirred him to the waking world.

"Eh, I'm not too worried about that. I've had worse" Naruto opened his eyes to see the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen outside Hinata.

"May I ask what you're doing here, shinobi-san?" the girl pointed to the headband around his arm.

"Doing some late night aggression relief, followed by promptly passing out. May I ask what you're doing, hunter-san? I'm going to guess the herbs in your basket are for Zabuza, neh?" Naruto smiled.

"H-how did you know?" the now caught shinobi stepped backwards.

"Have no fear, hunter-san, we're no enemies at the moment. My name is Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto extended his hand.

"M-my name is Haku."

Naruto was pleased when the now named Haku shook his hand firmly.

"So, how is Gato's mansion treating you two? Has to be nice with all the blood money he spent building it."

"We wouldn't know, we don't associate with him outside of our contract."

"You know, I always thought that the Seven Swordsman had some kind of code of honor. I'm surprised Zabuza would stoop so low as to work with scum like Gato" Naruto attempted to get a rise out of Haku.

Boy, did he ever.

"You shut your mouth about, Zabuza-sama!" Haku now held a senbon needle to his throat.

"Why? He's helping to sign this country's death certificate by helping Gato bleed these people dry. Or do you two have no idea what this man does to his enemies? Shinobi are brutal by nature, but Gato is in a league of his own. He allows his men to kill indiscriminately. Men, women, even the children aren't spared. Do you understand how many women are afraid to step outside because they fear being raped and murdered? Or raped and sold into slavery? Men and boys are sent to concentration camps to be worked to death, and all you two care about is money. It's pathetic" Naruto hoped he had pleaded his case well enough to spark an ember of thought into Zabuza's partner.

"W-We-...Shinobi have no code of honor."

"That doesn't mean we can't have morals. You two serve scum, I believe you're both better than that. Or are you content knowing that Gato will betray you in the end?"

"You cannot back out of a contract! It's dishonorable!"

"You think that if we don't have honor, that greedy little stain will? When you next see him, ask him what happens after you succeed. Look for his deceit, I'm sure you'll find plenty."

"I-I will think about what you said, Naruto-san" Haku seemed visibly shaken, a good sign to Naruto.

"Maybe the next time we meet, Haku-chan, we'll be under the same banner" Naruto bid Haku farewell.

"Goodbye, Naruto-san. I hope so as well. Oh, and for the record...I'm a boy."

With that, Haku turned and left. Leaving behind a very confused Naruto.

_'If I thought Haku was attractive, does that make me gay?' _Naruto asked Kokuō desperately.

**'I'd love you anyway you are, Colt'** Kokuō decided he's let his container sweat this one out on his own.

**And there it is, please let me know what you all think! Message me with ideas or concerns.**

**Complaints will go straight to Fanfiction Purgatory.**

**See you later, friends.**


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